The NFL draft is 10 days away and the Falcons currently hold the No. 4 overall pick. However, what the team may do with this pick is still up for debate. Mock drafts have projected Atlanta to take a quarterback, tight end, wide receiver, offensive lineman, or to trade down altogether.
In Pro Football Focus’ latest mock draft by Steve Palazzolo, the Falcons once again stand pat and select Kyle Pitts, the talented tight end out of Florida.
“Pitts is the first non-QB to come off the board. While the Falcons would love to add playmaking talent to their defense, the value is just not there in this draft. Pitts is a unique weapon who can win from any alignment, and his route running and ball skills create a mismatch for every position on the defense. His 96.1 receiving grade is the best we’ve seen from a tight end since 2014, and Pitts being on the field with Julio Jones and Calvin Ridley is the best way to maximize the last two years of Matt Ryan in Atlanta.”
While many of the team’s issues reside on the defensive side of the football, like Palazzolo stated, there isn’t a defensive player valued high enough for Atlanta to select at No. 4. Penn State linebacker Micah Parsons is the highest graded defensive player, per PFF, and he is only ranked at No. 9.
The best chance the Falcons have at getting the best defender in this year’s class is by trading down. However, in doing so, Atlanta would be forgoing the chance at drafting a tight end that has a Hall of Fame upside and changes the dynamic of the team’s passing offense.
Once you get past Travis Kelce, Darren Waller, and George Kittle, there is a noticeable decline in tight end production throughout the NFL. But does Arthur Smith need a high profile tight end to get this production? Anthony Fisker, who went undrafted in 2017, graded out as the seventh best tight end in 2020.
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