The Falcons have spent three consecutive top 10 draft picks on skill players, beginning with Kyle Pitts in 2021 when the team made him the highest drafted player in league history at his position.
The No. 4 overall pick burst onto the scene with Matt Ryan. During his rookie year, Pitts broke franchise records and nearly eclipsed Mike Ditka’s all-time rookie record for a tight end.
Pitts finished with 1,026 yards on 68 receptions en route to a Pro Bowl bid. It seemed like the Falcons had acquired a superstar with the new regime’s very first draft pick. That talk quickly died over the next two seasons due to poor quarterback play and a season-ending injury. Over the next two years, Pitts only recorded 1,023 yards on 81 receptions.
The hope is a new quarterback and offensive coordinator can help Kyle Pitts realize his full potential, which was sky-high when he entered in the NFL. Zac Robinson will have the unique challenge of getting the unicorn of a tight end more touches and therefore more production than his predecessor.
Tight ends coach Kevin Koger said the team has ideas about how to deploy Pitts effectively, particularly in the run game.
“We’re not oblivious to the fact of his skill sets, what he does bring to the team from a receiving standpoint, so there are a lot of things that you can do to be creative and use his skill set in the pass game,” Koger said, via the team’s website. “But with him and the way we’re going to run the ball and the athleticism he does have, there are a lot of things he can do in the run game to help us out to win football games. You’ll see him all over the field, not just out wide but also in the box.”
Falcons fans shouldn’t read into this too much. I don’t think Koger is talking about deploying Pitts as a run blocker primarily. Rather, I believe he’s saying the tight end is going to be heavily involved in all aspects of the Falcons offense, not just the passing game. This is a good thing. It seems Kyle Pitts is going to be one the field for a vast majority of snaps.
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Photographer: Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire
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