Kyle Pitts

Pitts had 1,026 receiving yards in 2021, becoming the first tight end since Mike Ditka in 1961 to reach 1,000 yards as a rookie. In two subsequent seasons, the 2021 fourth overall pick had just 1,023 receiving yards combined, struggling with knee injuries and poor QB play (Marcus Mariota, Desmond Ridder and Taylor Heinicke) in run-heavy offenses coached by Arthur Smith. Fortunately for Pitts, big changes are coming. The Falcons canned Smith in favor of Raheem Morris, hired former Rams assistant Zac Robinson as their offensive coordinator and then signed QB Kirk Cousins to a four-year contract. Atlanta even added QB Michael Penix with the eighth overall pick, creating a solid backup plan in case Cousins isn't the same after last year's Achilles' tear or otherwise ages faster than hoped for. Cousins mostly will be tasked with getting the ball to Pitts, WR Drake London and RB Bijan Robinson, as the Falcons have minimal receiving depth unless WR Darnell Mooney can rebound from an ugly 2023 in Chicago. It's a good situation for the 6-foot-6 tight end to pile up targets, and getting him more involved near the end zone should be a priority for Atlanta’s new coaching staff.

After coming 50 yards shy of Mike Ditka’s 60-year-old rookie tight end record of 1,076 receiving yards, Pitts had just 356 yards across 10 games in a disappointing 2022 campaign. His poor blocking didn’t mesh with coach Arthur Smith’s run-heavy offense, which led to Pitts spending more than 30 percent of Atlanta’s offensive snaps on the sidelines in five of his 10 healthy games before an MCL sprain ended his season. Pitts caught less than half of his targets in a Falcons offense that ran 55.3 percent of the time, seeing fewer passes than rookie WR Drake London while struggling to build chemistry with QB Marcus Mariota. Rookie QB Desmond Ridder replaced Mariota after Pitts was done for the year and threw only two TD passes in four starts. It looks like a tough environment for receiving production again, though the lack of pass-catching depth at least ensures a huge chunk of the throws will go to London and Pitts. The tight end scored 12 times his final year at Florida but has only three TDs since being drafted fourth overall. Pitts’ mix of size and speed is nearly unparalleled, as the 6-foot-6, 246-pound tight end ran the 40-yard dash in 4.44 seconds. The question now is if he can thrive in Smith's run-first offense while catching passes from Ridder and/or Taylor Heinicke.

Billed as a generational talent out of Florida last season, Pitts was drafted fourth overall and made an instant impact as one of only three tight ends in the league to eclipse 1,000 receiving yards, ranking second all-time among rookie tight ends with 1,026. That’s an impressive rookie season at a position that usually has a steep learning curve, but the notable shortfall in Pitts’ production was a lack of red-zone success, as he found the end zone once on 15 targets inside the 20. With Calvin Ridley suspended this season and Russell Gage (94 targets) off to Tampa Bay, Pitts likely will be the primary target for new quarterbacks Marcus Mariota and rookie Desmond Ridder, even after the team drafted wide receiver Drake London eighth overall this year. The 6-4 London, a former USC basketball player, is considered an elite red-zone target, but that could work in Pitts' favor as defenses can’t double team both players near the goal line. A second-year leap for Pitts in the touchdown department is probable given the recent history of highly drafted tight ends. Six others were selected in the first half of the first round since 2000; those players averaged 1.5 touchdowns as rookies and 4.8 touchdowns in their second seasons. Even in what should be a subpar Falcons offense, Pitts is a strong bet to improve on his rookie-year numbers.

The term "generational prospect" is thrown around too often, but Pitts is the rare case where few argue with that assessment. His 43-770-12 receiving line in an eight-game junior season at Florida was as good as it gets in terms of per-game production from a tight end, a position where even the future NFL stars don't always put up big numbers in college. Pitts also had an impressive sophomore year that included a team-high 54 receptions, and his pro day workout surpassed even the lofty expectations. At 6-6, 245, Pitts put up the fastest 40 time (4.44 seconds) and broad jump (129 inches) among tight ends in this year's draft class. The Falcons saw enough to take him fourth overall, arguably passing up their best chance to find Matt Ryan's successor. Regardless of how that works out from a franchise standpoint, it means Pitts will start his career catching passes from a veteran QB who has a 10-year streak topping 4,000 passing yards, with an average of 4,571 in that stretch. Hayden Hurst still might be the nominal Week 1 starter, but his disappointing 2020 opens the door for Pitts to be Atlanta's top pass catcher at tight end, a role that should come with steady targets after the team traded Julio Jones to Tennessee. While avoiding rookie tight ends might be a good rule in general, a prospect like Pitts is the reason we leave room for exceptions.