He played college football at Vanderbilt and was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Atlanta Falcons in 2020.
As a senior, he caught 32 passes for 480 yards and three touchdowns and was named first-team All-region and honorable mention All-State.
[1] Rated a consensus three-star recruit, Pinkney committed to play college football at Vanderbilt over offers from Nebraska, Miami, Florida, and Missouri.
[8] He was also listed as the top tight end prospect for the 2020 NFL Draft by Todd McShay and Mel Kiper of ESPN and as a projected first round pick by Pro Football Focus.
[11] Pinkney signed with the Atlanta Falcons as an undrafted free agent on April 27, 2020, shortly after the conclusion of the 2020 NFL draft.
[24] Pinkney made his NFL debut on January 2, 2022, starting at tight end for the Lions in a 51–29 loss to the Seattle Seahawks.