The Atlanta Falcons had a key choice to make throughout the 2021 NFL draft: Would they choose a quarterback like Justin Fields with the No. 4 general choose or apply it to the participant they thought was the finest out there?
First-year common supervisor Terry Fontenot made his choice. After quarterbacks went with the first three choices, the Falcons stayed put and gave Florida tight finish Kyle Pitts the honor of being the first non-signal-caller chosen.
Pitts seemed like a potential stud throughout his time with the Gators. He carried out nicely as quarterback Kyle Trask‘s No. 1 goal and used his distinctive mixture of dimension and pace to change into a matchup nightmare at the school stage.
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The early returns on Pitts at the NFL stage demonstrated promise. He recorded a 1,000-yard season as a 21-year-old rookie and figured to development up from there.
Instead, Pitts has struggled to succeed in that stage of manufacturing once more. Some blamed former Falcons coach Arthur Smith for these points, however Pitts' plateau has continued below the management of recent head coach Raheem Morris and offensive coordinator Zac Robinson. And that is regardless of the Falcons including Kirk Cousins – Pitts' finest quarterback associate since Matt Ryan in 2021 – to the fold.
Does that make Pitts a bust? Here's a have a look at his pre-draft scouting report, draft class and profession so far as the Falcons grapple with that key query.
Kyle Pitts scouting report
Pitts entered the 2021 NFL draft as considered one of the best tight finish prospects in current reminiscence. He made loads of performs as a downfield menace at Florida and completed his third and last school season with 43 catches, 770 yards and 12 touchdowns. The spectacular half about these numbers? He logged them in simply eight video games throughout the COVID-19-impacted school marketing campaign.
Naturally, Pitts' eye-popping capability as a vertical playmaker caught the eye of NFL expertise evaluators. His 6-6, 245 pound body coupled along with his pace made him appear to be a potential matchup nightmare, as he can be too huge for defensive backs to cowl and too quick for linebackers to include.
That allowed Pitts to attract a notable and pretty ubiquitous participant comparability forward of the draft: Hall of Fame huge receiver Calvin Johnson.
NFL.com's Lance Zierlein talked about this comparability – together with Darren Waller and Tyreek Hill – in his scouting report on Pitts.
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Fontenot provided a related evaluation of Pitts' ability set and upside in a information convention held after the first evening of the 2021 NFL Draft.
“You just look at his skill set,” Fontenot said when requested why Pitts was the finest participant out there. “His size, the athleticism, the body control, the way he separates, the way he adjusts to the ball. Again, he’s a tough, competitive player. He’s a mismatch.
“He’s 20 years previous. He’s acquired a excessive ceiling. He’s nonetheless getting higher. He does have a uncommon ability set. I maintain emphasizing it, however the make-up that he has, the make-up that the younger man has, we all know what we’re bringing into this constructing. That’s what will get us so enthusiastic about him.”
The Falcons certainly had reason to be excited, but Pitts' production hasn't exactly matched expectations during his three-plus seasons with the Falcons.
Kyle Pitts stats with Falcons
Pitts entered the 2024 NFL season having recorded 149 catches for 2,049 yards and six touchdowns in his first three years with the Falcons. Below is a year-by-year breakdown of his stats.
2021
- Games: 17
- Catches: 68
- Yards: 1,026
- TDs: 1
This marked Pitts' best season with the Falcons. It is the lone campaign during which he broke the 1,000-yard mark and was also the only season he played with quarterback Matt Ryan.
2022
- Games: 10
- Catches: 28
- Yards: 356
- TDs: 2
Many expected Pitts to make a leap between his first and second seasons in Arthur Smith's offense. Instead, he struggled throughout the first half of the season before suffering a torn MCL that caused him to miss the final seven games of the season.
Pitts worked exclusively with Marcus Mariota as his beginning quarterback in 2022. Mariota made 13 begins earlier than being changed by Desmond Ridder in the last 4 video games of the season.
2023
- Games: 17
- Catches: 53
- Yards: 667
- TDs: 3
Pitts upped his production in his third season, but he produced a career-low 12.6 yards per reception while working with Ridder and Taylor Heinicke. He logged a career-best three touchdowns but still hadn't developed into the red-zone threat the Falcons envisioned when selecting him.
2024
- Games: 4
- Catches: 8
- Yards: 105
- TDs: 1
Pitts entered Week 5 of the 2024 NFL season having logged just eight catches through his team's first four games. He had his first career zero-catch game in Week 4, but new head coach Raheem Morris didn't seem too worried about his lacking opportunities, proclaiming that “stats are for losers.”
Pitts may just be taking time to develop chemistry with Cousins, his new quarterback, but his production – or lack thereof – over the last two-plus seasons has become a trend.
Is Kyle Pitts a bust?
It's hard not to consider Pitts a bust at this juncture in his career. He's in his fourth season with the Falcons but hasn't yet developed into the mismatch weapon they hoped he'd be when they spent a top-five selection on him.
Pitts' middling production is especially painful considering the Falcons selected him one pick before Ja'Marr Chase, who has logged 1,000-yard seasons and made the Pro Bowl in each of his first three campaigns, and five picks ahead of cornerback Patrick Surtain II, who was named an AP All-Pro in 2022.
That said, there's still time for Pitts to pan out. He may just be taking time to adjust to Robinson's offense – a West Coast system that requires him to run short routes – so if things eventually click for him, he could break out in the second half of the season. That may be a long shot, as Pitts hasn't shown an ability to consistently gain separation on non-vertical plays at the NFL level, but the Falcons may still hold out hope that he can make strides over the duration of his contract, which runs through the 2025 season.
It's also possible that Pitts could find success with another NFL team. He is in just his age-24 season and still has the frame and athleticism needed to make him a mismatch vertical threat in the right offensive system. He could even be a top trade target if the Falcons decide they want to part with Pitts' potential and get a better blocking tight end.
As such, there is still hope for Pitts' career. It's just more likely, at this point, that any of his success would come outside of Atlanta, which would make him a disappointing Falcons bust.
