It is no secret that former Florida Gators tight end Kyle Pitts is a once-in-a-generation talent at this point, and heading into his rookie campaign with his new team, the Atlanta Falcons, expectations are sky-high. And for good reason.
While it is far too early to crown next season’s award winners — there is still a whole summer of practice and an entire 17-game schedule to play — it is never too soon for the sports media to start speculating on who might bring home some hardware. Chris Trapasso at CBS Sports recently ranked the top-11 favorites for the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award in 2022, and the erstwhile Gator found himself high up on that list.
Here is where Pitts landed and what Trapasso had to say about him.
4. Kyle Pitts, TE, Falcons (+1200)
Let’s call them the Atlanta Matchup Nightmares this season. Julio Jones has been one his entire NFL career. Calvin Ridley proved himself in 2021 in the absence of Jones, and now Pitts resides at tight end.
And with Matt Ryan locked in as the starter for the next two seasons, the Falcons are going to air it out. Often. Last year, he quietly led the NFL in completions and attempts, and the Falcons didn’t draft a running back. Ryan’s going to throw it around 40 times per game — there’ll be plenty of opportunity for Pitts even on a team with two 1,000-yard receivers.
Pitts will undoubtedly be an impact player from his first professional snap. The only question that truly lingers is how much better will he be than his peers? We will find out soon enough.
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