The Baltimore Ravens chose Alabama A&M offensive tackle Carson Vinson at No. 141 in the NFL Draft on Saturday.

The fifth-round pick became the first player drafted from the Bulldogs since the Miami Dolphins chose defensive tackle Frank Kearse in the seventh round in 2011.

Vinson also was the first selection from a Historically Black College or University in this year’s NFL Draft after there were no HBCU selections in 2024.

“You can go anywhere you want from an HBCU,” Vinson said while at the Reese’s Senior Bowl. “You don’t need to go anywhere else.”

A product of Panther Creek High School in Cary, North Carolina, Vinson grew from a two-star recruit to an NFL Draft choice through 48 starts at left tackle for Alabama A&M.

During his senior season, Vinson earned All-SWAC recognition and was chosen as a second-team NCAA FCS All-American by the American Football Coaches Association.

Although coming from NCAA FCS, Vinson heads to the pros in an NFL package. At the NFL Scouting Combine, Vinson measured 6-foot-7 and 314 pounds. At the Reese’s Senior Bowl, Vinson was one of the two players with an arm length of more than 35 inches, and his wingspan of 6 feet, 11¾ inches ranked third among the all-star players in Mobile.

Vinson became the third Alabama A&M player to participate in the Senior Bowl, following John Stallworth in 1974 and Kendrick Rogers in 2001. Vinson played every offensive snap at left tackle for the American team in its 22-19 victory over the National squad in the all-star game.

In addition to his on-the-field honors, Vinson was a member of the 2024 NCAA FCS Athletic Directors Association Academic All-Star Team.

The most recent player to go from Alabama A&M to the NFL is defensive tackle Anthony Lanier, who played in 15 games across the 2016 and 2017 seasons after entering the league as an undrafted rookie.

Houston Texans wide receiver Tank Dell is an Alabama A&M alumnus, but he played three seasons of college football at Houston after being a Bulldog before entering the NFL as a third-round selection in the 2023 draft.

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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X at @AMarkG1.