Atlanta Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts became only the second tight end in NFL history to eclipse 1,000 receiving yards as a rookie. Two years later, it appears Pitts will once again fall short of that milestone.
Pitts, the fourth pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, was viewed as a generational talent entering the league. Standing at 6-foot-6 with elite athleticism and rare receiving abilities for a tight end, many around the NFL projected him to become a perennial Pro Bowl selection.
- Kyle Pitts stats (2022): 28 receptions, 356 receiving yards, 12.7 yards per catch
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Pitts lived up to the hype in his first year, drawing 110 targets and turning them into 68 receptions for 1,026 receiving yards. While he only scored one touchdown in 17 games, his playmaking ability earned him a Pro Bowl selection. One year later, tied to starting quarterback Marcus Mariota, Pitts’ production plummeted.
However, many highlighted that Pitts’ issues last season were a greater reflection on Mariota. The veteran quarterback had one of the worst on-target throw rates in the NFL when throwing to Pitts. With Desmond Ridder taking over, fantasy managers and NFL fans believed Pitts would rebound in 2023. However, he might not even get that opportunity.
As part of a fantasy football preview for The Athletic, Falcons’ reporter Josh Kendall shared his belief that Pitts won’t be anything higher than the fourth-leading receiver in Atlanta this season.
Head coach Arthur Smith said last year that Pitts was a better overall player than he was as a rookie when he caught 68 passes for 1,026 yards. What Smith means is Pitts could be used in more places that didn’t necessarily lead to passing targets. That’s good for the Falcons, bad for fantasy. I don’t see Pitts being any higher than fourth on this team in targets. Plus, he still must prove he’s healthy after last season’s surgery.
Josh Kendall on Kyle Pitts fantasy outlook in the Atlanta Falcons offense
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Drake London and Bijan Robinson project to be two of the most targets players in the Falcons’ offense. While Robinson is a running back, the Falcons’ coaching staff loves his receiving ability and plan to feature him heavily as an offensive weapon who makes a significant impact in the passing game.
Evidently, Pitts might not even be the third-most targeted player in Atlanta. The projected role would mean that Pitts likely draws fewer than 100 targets this season, significantly damaging his fantasy ceiling and stat production for the upcoming season.
If that proves to be the case and Pitts doesn’t become the outstanding offensive weapon that so many believed he would become in the NFL, the Falcons might have a difficult decision to make regarding his fifth-year option for 2025.