The fourth overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, Kyle Pitts of the Atlanta Falcons was seen by many as the league’s next great super stud tight end, the kind of player who could put up numbers on par with the best wide receivers.
He didn’t disappoint in his first pro season either, becoming the first tight end with at least 1,000 yards in his rookie season in 50 years. But last year, Pitts had something of a setback, dealing with injuries and a woeful Falcons offense, and saw his production numbers fall off a cliff. However, things should improve this season, with all signs again pointing toward him being a viable TE1 in fantasy football.
Falcons starting tight end: Kyle Pitts
Pitts played just 10 games last season, tearing his MCL in the middle of the year and landing on injured reserve. He finished his season with 356 yards and two touchdowns on 28 receptions, his yards per game number nearly slashed in half, from 60.4 to 35.6, from the previous year.
But with more stability in Atlanta, namely better offensive players around him to share the load, he has the potential to be a top-five fantasy performer at the tight end position. There are questions at quarterback with Desmond Ridder starting. Ridder did end up starting four games last season as a rookie, but Pitts was on IR by the time he took over at quarterback.
Pitts is still recovering from his knee injury and has yet to practice this spring, but he’s expected to be ready to go by the start of the season, if not sooner. It would be good for him to get some reps prior to the season with Ridder, but he’s got the kind of talent that can make a quick connection with any quarterback.
Who is Kyle Pitts’ backup on the Falcons TE depth chart?
The Falcons brought in Jonnu Smith as a free agent this spring to give themselves another proven pass catcher at the position and a solid backup for Pitts—and possibly a bit of an insurance policy if Pitts isn’t ready to go or is slow out of the gate because of his knee.
Prior to spending the last two seasons with the Patriots, Smith was in Tennessee along with current Falcons head coach Arthur Smith, who was the tight ends coach and offensive coordinator there.