Khalil Dinkins still faces an uphill battle in reaching the NFL.

The North Allegheny graduate played five years at tight end for Penn State from 2021-25, but the lion’s share of receptions, yards and scores went to former teammates Tyler Warren, Theo Johnson and Brenton Strange, all of whom became NFL Draft picks.

That underwhelming statistical body of work may have contributed to Dinkins going unselected in the 2026 NFL Draft held in Pittsburgh.

But following in the footsteps of his father, Darnell, a Pitt graduate and eight-year NFL veteran who was an undrafted free agent, the younger Dinkins’ path to the pros will come in the same fashion, as he reportedly signed with the San Francisco 49ers shortly after the seventh and final round of the draft wrapped Saturday evening.

Dinkins was one of 27 tight ends invited to the NFL Combine and, while there, he was measured at 6-foot-4 and 251 pounds. He ran a 4.72 40-yard dash, posted a 32.5-inch vertical jump and demonstrated major strength in hitting 25 reps on the bench press.

“I wasn’t able to show everything I could do at Penn State,” Dinkins told reporters at the NFL Combine. “So being able to show that and do that (at the combine was) something good for me.”

Still, 37 career receptions for 399 yards at Penn State was an obstacle he had to overcome in proving to NFL clubs that he could do more than block.

In 2025, Dinkins finally rose to the top of the tight ends depth chart at Penn State, recording 14 catches for a career-high 167 yards, along with two touchdowns. For his efforts, Dinkins was an All-Big Ten honorable mention selection.

The previous season, Dinkins hauled in 14 passes for 122 yards and two scores. In total, he scored seven touchdowns in a Nittany Lions uniform.

At the Combine, Dinkins’ athleticism score and total score, powered by Next Gen Stats to predict a prospect’s NFL viability, both ranked 22nd out of 27 participating tight ends. Dinkins’ production score ranked 18th.

Dinkins may still need to overcome the odds in order to establish himself in the NFL, but he will get his shot.