Generational. Freak. Specimen. Unicorn. Can’t-miss.
These are words that have been used to describe tight end Kyle Pitts, who was selected fourth overall by the Atlanta Falcons in the 2021 NFL draft. Can he live up to the hype? That remains to be seen. The Falcons made Pitts the highest-drafted tight end ever, and he joins a potent offense on his new team. It would be hard for any prospect to meet the expectations folks have for Pitts, but he may be able to do it, even if it is not right away. Let us dive into his potential in our latest 4-EYED Rookie Snapshot!
College Background
Pitts broke out in his 2019 sophomore year at the University of Florida. That season, in 13 games, he caught 54 passes for 649 yards (12.0 yards per reception) and 5 touchdowns. Pitts followed that up with an elite season as a junior in 2020. In fewer games (8) and on fewer catches (43), he totaled more yards (770) and more touchdowns (12). Pitts averaged 17.9 yards per reception that season and earned a 96.1 receiving grade from Pro Football Focus. He was easily the consensus TE1 in pre-draft rankings.
Pitts has an elite size/speed combination (6’6” and 245 lbs., 4.49 40-yard dash time), separates from coverage well, and is very good at contested catches. He has an excellent catch radius, is generally a good route runner, and shows very good YAC ability. Pitts is an elite prospect and the only knock on him seems to be that he could improve his run blocking, and that can be coached up. He is probably as good a tight end prospect as we have ever seen, and the Falcons took him as their first pick hoping he can meet the lofty expectations.
Team Situation
As good as Pitts is, his landing spot is a curious one. Atlanta does not have a great running game and will probably be playing from behind a good deal, increasing their passing volume, but will Pitts be able to fit in quickly? Wide receivers Julio Jones (if he is not traded) and Calvin Ridley will command many targets, returning tight end Hayden Hurst and wideout Russell Gage are capable receivers, and running back Mike Davis is a serviceable pass-catcher out of the backfield. That said, Matt Ryan is still a very good quarterback, and the overall passing volume may bode well for Pitts. The Falcons were fourth in total team passing attempts in 2020 with 628, and there is little reason to expect that to change much. One either thing to remember is that new head coach Arthur Smith was a tight ends coach in the past and that could help Pitts. Pitts may get out of the gate slowly, but he could very well be a top tight end eventually.
Fantasy Outlook
The crowded receiving corps in Atlanta could hinder Pitts’ early production, and tight ends notoriously do not break out as rookies. That said, if anyone could deviate from that pattern, he can. Pitts has all the talent necessary to carve out a role and is tied to a good quarterback in a high passing volume offense. If Jones is traded, Pitts can line up outside at times, and some targets will open up for him.
In dynasty, Pitts is among the first non-quarterbacks taken in Superflex rookie drafts, and it is not uncommon to see him go 1.01 in 1QB rookie drafts. In startups, he is being taken as a top-four tight end, sometimes even before one of the big three (Travis Kelce, George Kittle, and Darren Waller). The hype is real and the expectations are very high. He is only 20 at the time this is being written, too, so there is a lot of longevity to be had with him. I have Pitts as TE6 in my dynasty rankings, which can be found elsewhere on this site. I still need to see him prove himself before I can put him ahead of Mark Andrews and T.J. Hockenson.
In redraft, it will also be hard to resist taking him as the fourth tight end off the board, especially given the positional scarcity. At the same time, we have seen athletic tight ends like David Njoku and Noah Fant struggle to make their mark in the NFL, and there is concern Pitts will be the next in the line of can’t-miss tight ends to disappoint. I do not think he will set the world on fire right away, but I also do not think he is the next Njoku. I would, however, probably draft a second tight end, or at least be set to stream the position, in case Pitts starts slowly.
Kyle Pitts is perhaps the best athlete in the entire 2021 draft class and the Falcons have invested heavily in him. Usually, players with that type of draft capital will get every opportunity to succeed, and ultimately I believe Pitts will do just that, though we may need to be patient with him for a little while. But If he is the exception to the rookie tight end rule, the returns will come sooner rather than later.