Despite his success in college, Pinkston's selection in the second round of the 2000 NFL draft by the Philadelphia Eagles raised some eyebrows due to his slight build.
[6] Pinkston's numbers dipped slightly in 2003, but he was productive down the stretch and registered a key touchdown in a playoff game against the Green Bay Packers.
However, later that half Pinkston was the recipient of an 80-yard pass from Donovan McNabb, furthering the paradox between his big play potential and his reluctance to run routes in traffic.
This negative publicity notwithstanding, Pinkston's 18.8 yards-per-catch average for the 2004 regular season was exceeded by only one other NFL receiver with as many or more receptions than the 36 he recorded (Ashley Lelie of the Denver Broncos averaged 20.1), and his six catches gaining 40 or more yards was topped by only three other receivers (teammate Terrell Owens, who had nine, and Javon Walker of the Green Bay Packers and Dennis Northcutt of the Cleveland Browns with seven each).
On September 3, 2006, Pinkston signed a one-year contract with the Minnesota Vikings, whose head coach, Brad Childress, was the former Eagles offensive coordinator.
[9] On August 13, 2007, Pinkston, recovered from his Achilles injury, signed with the Washington Redskins, but failed to make the team's final roster.