When the Atlanta Falcons selected Florida’s Kyle Pitts with the fourth overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft, the expectations were higher than any tight end in league history.
“His size, the athleticism, the body control, the way he separates, the way he adjusts to the ball,” Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot told D’Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Consitution after the 2021 NFL draft. “Again, he’s a tough, competitive player. He’s a mismatch. He’s 20 years old. He’s got a high ceiling. He’s still getting better.”
While most of what Fontenot said has been accurate, this idea that Pitts is a matchup nightmare has yet to be realized, even during his rookie season when he topped 1,000 receiving yards.
Pitts’ production hasn’t matched his draft status over the last few years, and the player once hailed as a unicorn now has fans wondering if the team is better off trading him while he still has value.
Through the first four games of the season, Pitts has just eight catches for 105 receiving yards and a touchdown. In Week 4, he logged his first career game without a catch despite being targeted three times.
When asked about Pitts’ absence from the stat sheet after Sunday’s 26-24 win over the Saints, Falcons head coach Raheem Morris wasn’t concerned in the slightest.
“Really, for me, man, stats are for losers,” said Morris. “I don’t get involved in that stuff. You go out there and try to win each game, and we were able to win it today.”
While Morris didn’t draft Pitts, he continues to show support for the 23-year-old during one of the lowest moments of his short career. Nevertheless, a conversation needs to be had about the future of the former top-five pick because we have seen less talented tight ends be more productive than Pitts.
We’ll see if he can turn things around against the NFC South-leading Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Thursday night.
