The Atlanta Falcons made Kyle Pitts the highest drafted tight end in history when they took him with the fourth overall pick in 2021.
Pitts didn’t take long to show he was a special player when he became only the second tight end to break 1,000 yards his first season. Erratic quarterback play, bracket coverage and an injury limited him to just 386 yards and two touchdowns his sophomore season.
Pitts is expected to have a full recovery from the knee injury that cut his season short. Big things are expected from the still-just 22-year old phenom.
NFL.com’s Adam Schein is ready to guarantee that we’ll see the best of Pitts in 2023.
Pitts entered the league with unparalleled hype. Consequently, while he earned Pro Bowl honors as a rookie, some still view him as a disappointment. That is wrong, especially just two years into his career. Don’t let your preconceived notions suffocate a developing player. Everyone praises Pitts’ work ethic, and given the pass-catching prowess that he entered the league with, his plus blocking has been a pleasant surprise. I anticipate the receiving numbers will come back in a big way in 2023.
Adam Schein, NFL.com
Flanked by Drake London and now Bijan Robinson in Smith’s attack, Pitts won’t command all attention from opposing defenses. That said, with Desmond Ridder under center, you can bet the second-year quarterback will routinely lean on his 6-foot-6, 246-pound mismatch nightmare/safety valve.
It’s not exactly going out on a limb to think Pitts will best his 386 yards from 2022, but Schein also points out the other weapons around Pitts. He was routinely double and triple teamed last year, but teams cannot afford to do that in 2023 with the emergence of London and the prowess of the Falcons’ ground attack.
The national media tends to dismiss Ridder’s chances of leading the Falcons. PFF goes as far as saying “there was little we saw from Ridder last season to suggest he will approach even average play at the position. Marcus Mariota played his way to the bench with his performances, and Ridder was simply the young quarterback in line for reps,” Sam Monson, PFF QB Rankings.
However, Schein is guaranteeing a bounceback season from Pitts, and Pete Schrager named Drake London one of his breakout players.
Kyle Pitts will see his numbers improve this year if he’s healthy. That’s a safe guarantee to make. How much they can improve over his rookie season will depend on the development of Ridder and the scheme to get him targets in the redzone.
