After a tough season for the Falcons offense in 2024, rumors have started to circulate about whether the team should keep or trade Kyle Pitts. While he’s had moments of success, he has yet to justify his top-five investment
Should the Falcons Trade or Keep Kyle Pitts?
The Florida Years: Why We Love Pitts
Kyle Pitts’ junior year at Florida made him a standout target across all NFL draft boards in 2021. It wasn’t just his stats that made him stand out, it was his pure athleticism. The 6’6” tight end ran an extraordinary 40-yard dash in the NFL Combine, timing in at 4.44 seconds. He also finished second in bench press, vertical jump, and broad jump.
Considering his frame and stature, this was unheard of in combines of the past. His athleticism was more closely related to wide receivers than tight ends. This, along with his 770-yard, 12-touchdown junior season (the Covid season with a shortened SEC-only schedule) at Florida solidified him as one of the best tight end prospects in recent memory. The John Mackey award winner was too good not to pass up on when he fell to the Atlanta Falcons at 4 in the 2021 NFL Draft.
The Atlanta Years… so far
Pitts’ rookie year got off to a hot start. Though he had just one touchdown on the year, the rookie compiled 1,026 yards and was a Pro Bowl selection. However, he has not had the same type of success since. In three seasons since, he’s totaled only 1,625 yards and nine touchdowns. This past season he had just 602 yards and four touchdowns. Not a bad season by any means, but Falcons fans have just expected more out of a top 5 draft pick.
Great Player, Wrong Scheme?
Pitts was not put in the best scheme under the Arthur Smith regime in 2022 and 2023. It is unfair to expect a tight end to have a breakout season when the offense does not utilize the position in the pass game. In 2022, the Falcons ranked 31st in the NFL in passes thrown to tight ends at just 14.4% of pass attempts going in a tight end’s direction.
In 2023, they were 27th and in 2024 they ranked 29th. The team has not put Pitts in the best situation possible to succeed. In the season Pitts was a Pro Bowl selection in 2021, the team was 3rd in the league in pass attempts thrown to a tight end.
Trade or Trust?
Pitts deserves at least one more season to improve and Falcons fans would heavily agree. The top-five pick has shown so much promise not to be more involved in the offensive scheme moving forward. Expect Zac Robinson to have more of an emphasis on getting talented playmakers like Bijan Robinson and Kyle Pitts involved. If Pitts still is not showing improvement, then expect to see the team part ways with the tight end and move forward in a different direction.
With tight end prospects like Oscar Delp and Jake Johnson available next year, the team can still find a serviceable tight end that can be more suited to help in a vertical run scheme. However, the Falcons should adjust their offensive scheme this season and find ways to give Pitts that breakout year. Don’t panic Falcons fans, trust in the tight end and some much-needed offensive adjustments moving forward.
Main Photo: Geoff Burke – Imagn Images