Since Kyle Pitts entered the league in 2021, fans have held high expectations for the No. 4 pick. He delivered as a rookie with the Falcons, totaling 1,026 yards and one touchdown on 68 receptions.
The belief was that he’d build on that season and blossom into the star many projected him to be on draft night. That hasn’t happened, as he struggled to produce in the next three seasons. Fans never lost hope, and Pitts become the epitome of the saying “this is our year.”
Eventually he would break out, right? That was the hope, and the offseason memes were certainly fun. Social media had countless posts about drafting Pitts early and that this would be the year he dominates. It was a good time, but is he actually a TE1?
Pitts is off to a solid start with Atlanta this season. He has 96 yards while catching 11-of-13 targets. He still doesn’t have a touchdown, but he’s a consistent threat in the offense.
The lack of scoring has always been an issue with Pitts, so this isn’t a new concern. Still, it’s a worry for fantasy owners who are looking for Pitts to be a TE1. He scored one, two, three and four touchdowns in his first four seasons, respectively. That number needs to go up.
Pitts doesn’t have to catch 10 touchdowns a year, although that would be great for the Falcons and fantasy owners. He needs around six or seven with over 1,000 yards to be considered an elite tight end. The more touchdowns he scores, the less yards he needs to be viable and vice versa.
It’s too early to fully buy into Pitts being a TE1, but it’s promising so far. He’s up to 11 catches on 13 targets and 96 yards. He’s on a 17-game pace of 93 receptions and 816 yards. That alone is great, as he would break his receptions record by 25. It can’t be all he does, however. He needs more yards per catch and to score touchdowns.
A realistic goal would be six or seven scores. It would also break his career-high of four touchdowns, but it would catapult Pitts into the top tier of tight ends. Unless he starts scoring at a better rate, he’s a low-end TE1 in most leagues.