Falcons rookie tight end Kyle Pitts entered the draft as the year’s top non-quarterback prospect. An expected run of three consecutive quarterbacks taken 1-2-3 allowed Atlanta to bring in Pitts at No. 4 overall.
The best comparison to Pitts might be Vernon Davis, the former top-10 pick of the 49ers. Davis actually ran a faster 40 time, and up until Pitts came along, was the highest-rated tight end ever, per NFL.com Next Gen Stats.
Kyle Pitts and Vernon Davis (2006) are the only two tight ends in our dataset (since 2003) to earn a 99 overall draft score. pic.twitter.com/iXIKMx7gq4
— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) April 30, 2021
Hailed as a generational talent, Pitts tied Davis’ draft score of 99 in according to NFL.com’s Next Gen Stats. While both players were listed as tight ends entering the draft, their freakish athleticism makes them unique and gives them the ability to line up all over the formation.
Falcons head coach Arthur Smith won’t have to change much as his top two tight ends saw significant playing time off of the line of scrimmage. Jonnu Smith played over 200 snaps in the slot or out wide, and Anthony Firkser played nearly 300.
However, one area where Smith may need to adjust when it comes to utilizing Pitts is the number of downfield targets. Jonnu Smith only saw 20 targets all season of 10 yards or more downfield, Firkser’s total was even lower with just 12 targets from the same distance.
Pitts’ athleticism is unmatched by any tight end Smith has ever coached, which is why he’s the highest to ever be drafted at that position.
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