When the Atlanta Falcons drafted Kyle Pitts fourth overall last year, it was the first time in NFL history that a tight end was selected in the top five.
Taking Pitts required the Falcons to pass on guys like Ja’Marr Chase, Micah Parsons and Penei Sewell, but that’s how rare the former Florida star’s skill set was believed to be coming out of college. It didn’t take long for Pitts to prove worthy of the hype, finishing with over 1,000 receiving yards during his rookie year.
Thus far in 2022, Pitts isn’t getting the ball enough to be the kind of difference-maker we know he can be. This could be due to a hamstring injury that kept him out of the Falcons’ Week 5 matchup against the Buccaneers. Or it could be due to the lack of quality targets Pitts has received this season.
CBS Sports’ Jacob Gibbs shared an interesting stat on players who have received the highest amount of off-target throws. As you can see below, two Falcons — Kyle Pitts and Drake London — were listed.
Highest 'off-target' rates:
32% – Kyle Pitts
29% – Darnell Mooney
23% – Jahan Dotson
22% – DJ Moore, Nico Collins
21% – Drake London, Elijah Moore
19% – Davante Adams (this explains a lot 😡)
18% – Rashod Bateman, Dalton Schultz
17% – Jerry Jeudy, Darren Waller, Marquise Brown— Jacob Gibbs (@jagibbs_23) October 12, 2022
Pitts leads the NFL in off-target pass rate (32 percent), while London has the fifth-highest rate at 21 percent. While both have an elite catch radius, their size can’t make up for everything.
Fans have been upset about the lack of receptions and targets that Pitts has received this season, but the fact that nearly a third of the passes intended for him have been off target is a major reason for his underwhelming production.
Many fans have questioned Arthur Smith’s ability to scheme Pitts open, but perhaps this is a problem that has more to do with the quarterback than anything else.
Pitts is set to return in Week 6 when the Falcons host their former division rivals, the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
