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The Atlanta Falcons drafted tight end, Kyle Pitts, with the fourth overall pick in the 2021 draft, and the rookie quickly proved why the selection was justified. Pitts finished as the Falcons’ leading receiver in targets, receptions, and total receiving yards in his rookie year. Atlanta finished the 2021 season with a 7-10 record with a third-place finish in the NFC South. With a new quarterback under center, the Falcons will look for their second-year tight end to take another leap in 2022.
Changes to the roster through the offseason opens the door for Pitts to play a more prominent role in the offense. While the NFC is tightly competitive there is a potential opening for the Falcons to surprise some in their division. For the Falcons to see increased success in 2022 it will likely coincide with Pitts taking another leap this coming season.
2021 season statistics & fantasy finish
Receiving: Pitts led the Falcons with 68 receptions for 1,026 yards and averaged 60.4 receiving yards per game. He caught one receiving touchdown in his rookie season.
Fantasy: He finished sixth among tight ends in points-per-reception scoring with 176.6 fantasy points and averaged 10.4 points per game. In standard scoring, Pitts finished in the top 10 among tight ends with 108.6 fantasy points and 6.4 points per game.
Falcons offseason moves
Atlanta marked the end of an era after trading Matt Ryan to the Indianapolis Colts. To fill the void under center the Falcons agreed to terms with Marcus Mariota on a two-year, $18.75 million deal. They drafted their potential quarterback of the future in Desmond Ridder in the third round of the 2022 draft. After seeing Russell Gage depart in free agency and with Calvin Ridley suspended for the season, Atlanta agreed on a trade with the Las Vegas Raiders to acquire wide receiver Bryan Edwards.
2022 best-case scenario
The departure of Gage and the absence of Ridley opens the door for Pitts to become the Falcons’ No. 1 offensive option. Another 1,000-yard season with close to double-digit touchdowns is not out of the question and would put him on par with the elite tight ends such as Travis Kelce. A top-5 finish among tight ends in both PPR and standard fantasy leagues could be within reach as well.
2022 worst-case scenario
The Falcons ranked 16th in passing and 26th in points per game last season and that was with Ryan under center. Mariota now steps under center with his last 1,000+ yard passing season coming back in 2019. If Mariota struggles in Atlanta and potentially forces Ridder into some early career growing pains then it could limit Pitts’ fantasy potential. The Falcons need to at the very least throw the ball to give Pitts a shot in the open field.
2022 prediction
Mariota’s production remains the X-factor here given he hasn’t held a starting role under center since being with the Tennessee Titans in 2019. Atlanta could look for Mariota to get the ball out quickly and Pitts is by far their best threat on offense, so I like his chances of finishing between the top-5 and top-10 in PPR scoring. I don’t think the Falcons will make a significant leap in team scoring so I could see Pitts falling just outside the top-10 among tight ends in standard scoring leagues. Mariota’s willingness to throw the ball downfield will decide how productive of a fantasy season Pitts has in 2022.