Tag: Kyle Pitts

2021 NFL mock draft: Huge surprises dominate top 10 picks

In the latest 2021 NFL mock draft from Pro Football Focus, the top 10 picks are loaded with big surprises

Nothing is ever truly shocking anymore when it comes to NFL draft projections, but the latest 2021 NFL mock draft from Pro Football Focus certainly delivers a handful of intriguing surprises among the top 10 selections.

The first one comes at the No. 4 overall pick, where PFF’s Seth Galina has the Atlanta Falcons passing on some of this year’s top quarterback prospects in favor of Florida tight end Kyle Pitts. Pitts is a rare prospect, but taking a tight end over a potential successor for Matt Ryan would be a surprising course of action for the Falcons.

The next surprise comes at No. 6 overall, where Galina has the Philadelphia Eagles taking a quarterback just one year after spending a second-round pick on Jalen Hurts. Not only that, his mock has Philly opting for Alabama’s Mac Jones over BYU’s Zach Wilson and North Dakota State’s Trey Lance, both of whom are still on the board.

Wilson surprisingly slides to the Carolina Panthers at No. 8 overall in this projection, while the Denver Broncos end the Drew Lock experiment by taking Lance with the very next pick.

Some big-name prospects who go later than usual in this mock? Miami edge defender Gregory Rousseau (No. 17 overall, Las Vegas Raiders), Penn State linebacker Micah Parsons (No. 19 overall, Washington Football Team) and Alabama wide receiver Jaylen Waddle (No. 20 overall, Chicago Bears).

A few prospects who come off the board earlier than expected include Penn State edge defender Jayson Oweh (No. 14 overall, Minnesota Vikings) and Wake Forest defensive lineman Carlos Basham Jr. (No. 32 overall, Tampa Bay Buccaneers).

To check out the full first-round projection at Pro Football Focus, click here.

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New McShay mock has Pitts just outside the top five while Toney is in a familiar spot

Kyle Pitts and Kadarius Toney are projected to land with a pair of NFC East rivals, with the former being predicted to go in the top 10.

The 2021 NFL Draft is now just less than two months away, and that means that Florida’s 10-year drought of having an offensive skill position player taken in the first round is about to end. Two Gators prospects, tight end Kyle Pitts and receiver Kadarius Toney, are all but guaranteed to hear their names called on the first night of the draft. Toney is consistently being projected to go in the top 20, and Pitts could even push for a top-five slot.

In the latest mock draft update from ESPN’s Todd McShay, he has Pitts falling just outside the top five, projecting that he will be selected by the Philadelphia Eagles with the sixth pick.

Despite the Eagles’ glaring weakness at wide receiver, I’m mixing it up with Pitts at No. 6. It’d be the 10th time a tight end has been drafted before the first wide receiver off the board, and only four other tight ends have ever been taken in the top six. But here’s the thing: Pitts is more than just a tight end. He’s a matchup nightmare who can line up all over the place, and his great speed, hands and 6-foot-6 size make him extremely difficult to contain. Philadelphia should add receiver help in free agency, but a Pitts-Dallas Goedert pairing is a dream for any offensive coordinator.

Tim McManus on his fit with the Eagles: With Zach Ertz expected to be traded or released, Pitts would immediately assume a co-starter role alongside Goedert. The Eagles used two-tight end sets a league-high 35% of the time last season — a number that would skyrocket toward their 2019 totals (52%) with Pitts in the fold.

Pitts would be an excellent replacement for Ertz, and he would give a tremendous boost to the Philly receiving corps. Many think the Eagles could take a quarterback here, but if they choose to roll with Jalen Hurts for another year, Pitts would certainly help him out a lot.

NEXT: What’s up with Kadarius Toney?

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Louis Riddick on the idea of the Eagles potentially passing on Ja’Marr Chase for Kyle Pitts

Louis Riddick on the idea of the Eagles potentially passing on Ja’Marr Chase for Kyle Pitts

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Ja’Marr Chase has been out of sight for almost a year now, but the former LSU star wide receiver is still on the mind of draft experts and pundits when the discussion of the top pass catcher is broached.

During his Friday morning appearance on ESPN’s, ‘Get Up’, former Eagles pro personnel director and current Monday Night Football analyst Louis Riddick was asked about Philadelphia potentially taking Florida tight end Kyle Pitts at No. 6 overall.

Riddick spoke of “recency bias” when trying to break down NFL insider’s love affair with Pitts over Chase, who would have been the top wideout taken in the 2020 and 2021 NFL Draft.

Riddick made it clear that if the Eagles pass on Chase at No. 6 overall, fans would likely want to riot.

Chase won the 2019 Biletnikoff Award for nations’ top receiver, and the 6-foot-1, 200-pound stud wideout set a then-Southeastern Conference season record for yards receiving (1,780) and receiving touchdowns (20).

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Four directions the Vikings can go after Kyle Rudolph’s release

There are a lot of different things the Minnesota Vikings can do now that Kyle Rudolph is released. Do you want them to draft TE Kyle Pitts, sign a free agent in 2021, or do something else?

On Tuesday, the Vikings released their longest-tenured player: tight end Kyle Rudolph.

Rudolph will be missed for his highlights on the field and his overall impact in the community. He was a part of many different, fun Vikings teams. His game-winning touchdown reception against the Saints in the 2019 postseason will live on.

That said, this move did not seem all that surprising, given Minnesota’s salary cap situation and what Rudolph said publicly earlier in the offseason.

It will certainly be strange to see the Vikings’ tight end unit without Rudolph leading it. Here are some directions the team can go now with its tight end unit for the 2021 NFL season:

Mel Kiper gives thoughts on Jags’ need for a TE

The Jags have several needs, but Mel Kiper feels tight end is one of the top ones they need to address this year.

The Jacksonville Jaguars have a lot of needs after coming off a one-win season in 2020, and as a result, Urban Meyer and company will have a task on their hands when it comes to bolstering up the group to a respectable level. However, depending on what analyst fans get their information from, the team’s top needs vary, which has made trying to figure out the Jags’ direction interesting these last few months.

In a recent conference call, ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. revealed one of the positions he felt was a top-3 need for the Jags, which is at tight end. Thankfully, Kiper feels there will be plenty of prospects to choose from, though, as the Jags have 11 picks in April’s draft.

“Yes, that is a need – and that is one of their top three needs overall,” Kiper said about the tight end position. […] “There will be a lot of tight ends. It depends on which ones they like. They’re all a little different, but they all certainly would be possibilities for Jacksonville in this draft.”

In addition to the draft picks they have, the Jags are projected to have a figure of over $80 million in available cap space. They could use that to sign a veteran like Jonnu Smith or Hunter Henry in a few weeks if they become available.

As for the draft, the top prospect is Florida tight end Kyle Pitts, who should be a top-10 selection. Of course, his ranking as an elite prospect would rule the Jags out unless they gave up significant compensation to move up.

What’s more likely is for the Jags to snag a tight end in Rounds 2-5. Pat Freiermuth is a popular name at the position who has a second-round grade. He also has ties to the Jags as his former position coach, Tyler Bowen, is on the staff. Other options include Brevin Jordan, Tre’ McKitty, and Hunter Long, who the Jags could snag in Days 2-3.

Regardless of what route the Jags go, it’s hard to see them not addressing their weakness at tight end as the position has proven to be important for quarterbacks. By addressing it this year, the team would be bringing in the tight end at the same time as probable No. 1 selection Trevor Lawrence, giving him a weapon at the position to build a bond with immediately in his young career.

CBS Sports mock has Pitts replacing a free agent star, Toney going to team in need

Kyle Pitts is projected to replace Hunter Henry in Los Angeles, while Kadarius Toney could help out a struggling offense in Washington.

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It seems like a given at this point that former Florida tight end Kyle Pitts and receiver Kadarius Toney will both be selected on the first night of the 2021 NFL draft. After not having an offensive skill position player selected in the first round in over a decade (Tim Tebow in 2010 was the last), the Gators are all but guaranteed to have two selected in this draft.

The question now is, where will those guys end up? The latest mock draft from ESPN analyst Mel Kiper showed Pitts going in the top five, but that was a bit of an outlier, as most other projections have him falling just outside the top 10. Toney is fairly consistently being predicted to go in the late teens or early 20s.

NEXT: Who picks Pitts?

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Two Florida players earn spot in Bucky Brooks’ top 5 by position

Two Florida Gators players cracked the top 5 list for their position in the 2021 NFL draft as the countdown continues.

As the NFL and College Football world awaits the 2021 NFL draft this April, a few former Florida Gators are seeing their stock potentially rise.

Both Kadarius Toney and Kyle Pitts should hear their names called early in the 2021 NFL draft as both have first-round grades. The duo top a list of Florida players that are expected to hear their names called and now the national media is starting to give them props.

NFL.com’s Bucky Brooks released his list of the top 5 players at each position going into the draft and to no one’s surprise, both Toney and Pitts cracked the list at their respected positions.

Brooks listed Pitts as the top tight end in this 2021 NFL draft beating out Pat Freiermuth (Penn State), Hunter Long (Boston College), Brevin Jordan (Miami) and Tre’ McKitty (Georgia). Here is what Brooks had to say about this crop of tight ends:

The tight end position offers the most opportunity to create a mismatch on the field in the 2020s, and this group features an intriguing mix of playmakers with games reminiscent of George Kittle and Travis Kelce. Pitts is the ultimate offensive weapon. The ultra-athletic pass catcher is a wide receiver in a tight end’s body, boasting an array of skills that make him a nightmare for defenders on the perimeter.

As for the receivers, Brooks listed Toney No. 4 behind Ja’Marr Chase (LSU), Jaylen Waddle (Alabama), and DeVonta Smith (Alabama). He is ahead of Terrace Marshall of LSU on the SEC-dominated list. Brooks had this to say about the receivers:

The explosion of the aerial game at the lower levels of football has enabled rookie pass catchers to make an immediate impact in Year 1. The 2021 class is stacked with polished receivers who have route-running skills and big-play ability.

There’s still a long way to go until the draft and these two could improve their stock even more at Florida’s Pro Day.

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2021 NFL draft: Kyle Pitts unlikely to fall to Giants at No. 11

Although many mock drafts have TE Kyle Pitts going to the New York Giants, it’s becoming less and less likely he’s available at No. 11.

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As the 2021 NFL draft draws nearer, many experts and analysts seem to believe the New York Giants may favor Florida tight end Kyle Pitts at No. 11 over Alabama wide receivers DeVonta Smith and Jaylen Waddle.

The reasons why are both evident and abundant. Pitts is an athletic freak of nature capable of lining up all over the field and creating mismatches across the board. Both his size (6-foot-6, 246 pounds) and speed (4.70 40) set him apart from the rest and he’s the exact kind of playmaker the Giants seem to be looking for.

But the Giants won’t be alone in their desire to draft Pitts. As more and more experts and scouts begin to look at his film, it’s becoming apparent that he will be among the most-talented prospects available come April.

In fact, Daniel Jeremiah of NFL Network now has Pitts ranked as his third-best prospect in the draft behind Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence and LSU wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase.

Pitts is a long, lean tight end prospect with excellent speed, ball skills and production. He has lined up inline, flexed in the slot and split out wide. He runs routes like a wideout. The former Gator has burst off the line, sets up defenders and explodes out of the break point. He beat upper-echelon SEC cornerbacks on a weekly basis. He builds speed to separate down the seam and tracks the ball naturally down the field. Pitts has an enormous catch radius. He uses his speed to pile up yards after the catch. He showed tremendous improvement as a blocker in 2020. He fits up, doing his best to wrestle and stay attached. He will fall off at times, but the effort is there. Overall, Pitts is a unique talent with the ability to take over a game. He is the definition of a mismatch player.

Comparatively, Waddle is ranked No. 6 overall and Smith is ranked No. 8 overall. Another popular Giants mock, Michigan edge rusher Kwity Paye, is ranked No. 19 overall.

So, what does this all mean? Not too much with several months to go before the draft kicks off, but if the trends continue, it’s hard to see Pitts slipping to the Giants at No. 11. It’s also difficult to see that trajectory changing when the tight end only looks that much more dynamic the more you watch him.

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2021 NFL Draft: Pro-day schedule, prospects the Eagles could target

Pro-day schedule for NFL draft prospects that the Philadelphia Eagles could have interest in.

The annual college pro-day circuit has kicked off and it’ll be a lot of different scenarios thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic.

With NFL teams and media now having limited exposure to prospects, the pro-day circuit could mean millions for a ton of players across the country.

Clemson QB and presumptive No. 1 overall pick Trevor Lawrence held his own Pro-day on February 12th, so he could have an early surgery on his non-throwing shoulder and wanted to get more time to rehab in advance of his rookie season.

Top decision-makers from the Eagles made the trip to Clemson and they’ll likely hit the road to view players since there will be no in-person workouts and pro days will be held on campus instead.

With the Eagles set for a rebuild and in need of young talent, here are the upcoming Pro Day schedules for players that could interest the Birds.

Mock drafts continue to disagree on Kyle Pitts vs. OL debate for Bengals

Mock drafts keep having the Cincinnati Bengals go different directions in the 2021 NFL draft.

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Two parties continue to emerge when it comes to the Cincinnati Bengals and the fifth pick in the 2021 NFL draft.

One party aligns with the thinking the team should use the premium pick on the best offensive lineman available. That’s often Oregon’s Penei Sewell, sometimes otherwise.

The other agrees with the thinking that getting a weapon like Florida tight end Kyle Pitts is the best course of action for Joe Burrow.

Look no further than mock drafts for proof.

Over at CBS Sports, Ryan Wilson makes Pitts the pick and notes the following:

“The Bengals would love to get offensive line help here, but with Sewell off the board they could focus on the best pass catcher in this draft class. Pitts is listed as a tight end but he can line up anywhere and is a matchup nightmare for corners, safeties and linebackers.”

Daniel Jeremiah of NFL Network, on the other hand, goes with Sewell: “Kyle Pitts is an attractive option, but the Bengals need to make protecting Joe Burrow the priority.”

What the Bengals end up doing and how it impacts the team over the long-term largely hinges on what the front office does in free agency. If it can nail down a top free-agent lineman, it makes taking a weapon like Pitts much easier.

In the past, the Bengals have gotten themselves into trouble by drafting strictly need. That’s why we’ve argued Pitts is the ideal target if the team gets a big win in free agency.

The reality? Both Sewell and Pitts are elite prospects worthy of a top-five spot. The Bengals can’t really go wrong, but a proper trip to free agency will help things along much more than sitting on their hands will.

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