Less than a week removed from the 2026 NFL Draft being wrapped up, the New England Patriots have signed their first selection to a rookie contract. Fifth-round cornerback Karon Prunty and the Patriots have reached an agreement on a four-year deal, as first reported by Christopher Price of the Boston Globe.
Per the rookie wage scale, Prunty’s contract will have a total value of $4.81 million and include a fully-guaranteed $434,868 signing bonus.
Prunty, 24, joined the Patriots as the 171st overall pick
in the draft last Saturday. He is coming to New England off a six-year college career that included stops at Kansas and North Carolina A&T before wrapping up in 2025 with a one-year stint at Wake Forest.
In total, he started all 55 games he appeared in and totaled 166 tackles as well as seven interceptions, three sacks, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery. He also broke up 30 passes and was voted third-team All-ACC in his final season.
As a Patriot, Prunty is projected to compete for a backup cornerback and special teams spot this summer. Primarily an outside cornerback, he will be part of a depth chart headed by Christian Gonzalez and Carlton Davis.
Prunty and the rest of the Patriots’ rookie class, both drafted and undrafted, will hold their rookie minicamp next week. The three-day event is set to begin on Friday, May 8, at Gillette Stadium.
