Karon Prunty, Demond Claiborne of Wake Forest picked in later rounds of NFL Draft

Defensive back Karon Prunty of Wake Forest was selected in the fifth round of the NFL Draft by the New England Patriots. A few picks later in the sixth round running back Demond Claiborne was taken by the Minnesota Vikings.

Prunty, who played his redshirt senior year at Wake Forest after transferring from NC A&T, was the 171st player chose in the three-day draft that started Thursday night.

Prunty, who is from Portsmouth, Va., also played at Kansas before transferring to the Aggies.

He helped Coach Jake Dickert to a 9-4 season in 2025 and made the All-ACC third team. He was also All-CAA third team in 2024 with the Aggies.

"Karon is a terrific corner with long speed and great length at the position," Dickert said shortly after Prunty's selection on Saturday afternoon. "The Patriots are getting an experienced corner who has excelled in every stop of his college career."

He was in on 40 tackles for the Demon Deacons with one forced fumble, a fumble recovery and he was credited with eight pass breakups. His best game was the Duke's Mayo Bowl in Charlotte when he had six tackles that included a sack in the win over Mississippi State.

Prunty, 24, started his career in 2020 as a freshman at Kansas but then redshirted in 2021. He played for the Aggies in 2022, '23 and '24 and with one year left of eligibility transferred to the Demon Deacons for Dickert's first season in Winston-Salem.

"He was a reliable part of our defense the entire year and was a major difference in why our defense was so good this season," Dickert said. "He is also a strong tackler for the position and will help in run support on the edges."

Claiborne is one of the top running backs in school history. The 5-foot-10, 195-pounder played four seasons for the Demon Deacons rushing for 2,599 yards in 44 games with 26 touchdowns.

Claiborne also had 55 catches for 424 yards with two touchdowns.

"With Demond, the Vikings are not only getting one of the most explosive athletes I have ever coached but they are also getting the ultimate competitor," Dickert said. "His numbers speak for themselves in terms of being one of the best running backs in school history."

The two-time All-American selection at Wake Forest, Claiborne finished his career fourth on the all-time Wake Forest rushing list.

Wake Forest has now had at least one pick in every NFL Draft since 2017, the second-longest streak since 1967.

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This story was originally published April 26, 2026 at 4:19 AM.