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    • Is Falcons TE a bust for the 2021 NFL Draft?
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    Is Falcons TE a bust for the 2021 NFL Draft?

    Idris Bevan Posted on

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    The Atlanta Falcons had an important decision to make during the 2021 NFL Draft: Would they select a quarterback like Justin Fields with the No. 4 overall pick or trade him to the player they felt was the best player available?

    First-year general manager Terry Fontenot made his decision. After the quarterbacks settled on the first three selections, the Falcons stuck with it and gave Florida tight end Kyle Pitts the honor of being the first non-signal-caller selected.

    Pitts seemed like a potential stud during his time with the Gators. As quarterback Kyle Trask’s number one target, he performed well and used his unique combination of size and speed to become a matchup nightmare at the college level.

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    Pitts’ early returns at the NFL level have been promising. He posted a 1,000-yard season as a 21-year-old rookie and assumed things would go up from there.

    Instead, Pitts struggled to get back to that level of production. Some blamed former Falcons coach Arthur Smith for these problems, but Pitts’ plateau continued under the leadership of new head coach Raheem Morris and offensive coordinator Zac Robinson. That’s despite the Falcons adding Kirk Cousins ​​— Pitts’ best quarterback partner since Matt Ryan in 2021 — to the roster.

    Does this make Pitts a bust? Here’s a look at his pre-draft scouting report, his draft class and his career to date as the Falcons grapple with this key question.

    Kyle Pitt’s scouting report

    Pitts entered the 2021 NFL Draft as one of the most productive tight end prospects in recent memory. He made many plays as a downfield threat at Florida and finished his third and final college season with 43 catches, 770 yards and 12 touchdowns. What’s impressive about these numbers? He started them in just eight games during the college campaign impacted by COVID-19.

    Naturally, Pitts’ stunning ability as a vertical playmaker caught the attention of NFL talent evaluators. His 6-6, 245-pound frame coupled with his speed made him look like a potential matchup nightmare, as he would be too big for the defensive backs to cover and too fast for the linebackers to contain him could.

    This allowed Pitts to draw a notable and fairly ubiquitous player comparison before the draft: Hall of Fame wide receiver Calvin Johnson.

    NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein mentioned this comparison – along with Darren Waller and Tyreek Hill – in his scouting report on Pitts.

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    In a press conference after the first night of the 2021 NFL Draft, Fontenot gave a similar assessment of Pitts’ skills and upside.

    “Just look at his skill set,” Fontenot said when asked why Pitts is the best player available. “His size, the athleticism, the body control, the way he separates, the way he adjusts to the ball. Again, he is a tough, competitive player. He’s a mismatch.”

    “He is 20 years old. He has a high level. He’s getting better and better. He has rare abilities. I keep stressing it, but the makeup he has, the makeup the young man has, we know what we’re doing. That’s what excites us about him.”

    The Falcons certainly had reason to be excited, but Pitts’ performance didn’t quite live up to expectations in his three-plus seasons with the Falcons.

    Kyle Pitts stats for the 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 breakdown of his stats by year.

    2021

    • games: 17
    • Catches: 68
    • yards: 1,026
    • TD’s: 1

    This was Pitts’ best season with the Falcons. It is the only season in which he broke the 1,000-yard mark, and it was also the only season in which he played with quarterback Matt Ryan.

    2022

    • games: 10
    • Catches: 28
    • yards: 356
    • TD’s:2

    Many expected Pitts to make a jump between his freshman and sophomore seasons in Arthur Smith’s offense. Instead, he struggled in the first half of the season before suffering a torn ACL that caused him to miss the final seven games of the season.

    Pitts worked exclusively with Marcus Mariota as the starting quarterback in 2022. Mariota made 13 starts before being replaced by Desmond Ridder for the final four games of the season.

    2023

    • games: 17
    • Catches: 53
    • yards: 667
    • TD’s:3

    Pitts increased his production in his third season, but averaged a career-low 12.6 yards per reception while working with Ridder and Taylor Heinicke. He recorded a career-best three touchdowns, but still hadn’t developed into the red zone threat the Falcons envisioned when he was selected.

    2024

    • games: 4
    • Catches:8
    • yards: 105
    • TD’s: 1

    Pitts entered Week 5 of the 2024 NFL season having recorded just eight catches in his team’s first four games. He played his first career zero-catch game in Week 4, but new head coach Raheem Morris didn’t seem too concerned about his lack of opportunities, proclaiming that “stats are for losers.”

    Pitts may just need time to develop chemistry with Cousins, his new quarterback, but his performance – or lack thereof – over the past two or more seasons has become a trend.

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    Is Kyle Pitts a bust?

    It’s hard not to view Pitts as a failure at this point in his career. He’s in his fourth season with the Falcons but hasn’t yet developed into the unlikely weapon they were hoping for when they selected him with the top-five pick.

    Pitts’ mediocre performance is particularly painful considering the Falcons selected him one pick ahead of Ja’Marr Chase, who posted 1,000-yard seasons and made the Pro Bowl in each of his first three seasons, and five Picks ahead of cornerback Patrick Surtain II, who was named AP All-Pro in 2022.

    However, Pitts still has time to develop. Maybe he just needs time to get used to Robinson’s offense – a West Coast system that requires him to run short routes – so if it eventually works out, he could break out in the second half of the season. That may be a long shot since Pitts hasn’t demonstrated the ability to consistently gain distance on non-vertical plays at the NFL level, but the Falcons may still hold out hope that he can make progress over the length of his contract that runs until for the 2025 season.

    It’s also possible Pitts could find success with another NFL team. He’s just in his age-24 season and still has the frame and athleticism needed to become a mismatched vertical threat in the right offensive system. He could even be a top trade target if the Falcons decide to move on from Pitts’ potential and get a better blocking tight end.

    Therefore, there is still hope for Pitts’ career. At this point, it’s just more likely that his success will come outside of Atlanta, which would make him a disappointing bust for the Falcons.

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    Idris Bevan
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