Falcon Report

Falcons Coach Arthur Smith on Pro Bowl Rookie Kyle Pitts: 'That's Just Not Normal'

Atlanta Falcons rookie tight end Kyle Pitts is a a Pro-Bowler at 21, and head coach Arthur Smith says he's just scratching the surface.

Falcon Report Staff

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It was revealed on Wednesday that Atlanta Falcons rookie tight end Kyle Pitts would be heading to the Pro Bowl after this season.

Pitts was the highest drafted tight end in history when the Falcons selected him No. 4 overall in April's NFL Draft. It may have seemed impossible at the time, but he's actually lived up to the hype that followed him from the University of Florida.

Pitts is second in the NFC in receiving yards for tight ends behind George Kittle of the San Francisco 49ers, and at just 21-years old, Falcons head coach Arthur Smith says Pitts is just getting started.

"I think that he’s been exactly who we thought he was," said Smith. "He's impacted games immensely. Even [when] the ball hasn’t found his way. Like I said, he's not even scratching the surface guys, and he's going to have a really productive year. So, I think that's stating the obvious."

Smith has been reluctant to single out players all season for their ability and performance, but even he is impressed with the natural ability Pitts has shown.

"I think really good players make the really hard look easy," said Smith. "Just watching those down the field catches, that's just not normal."

"Even the one we threw before halftime. That [Ambry] Thomas had that he ripped away and damn near caught it. I mean, that just shows you a man that size, his spatial awareness and body control. To me, that's impressive."

Like Atlanta Braves fans of the 90's who got used to watching Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, and John Smoltz, three future Hall of Famers, Smith hopes people don't take for granted the things they're seeing and will see from Pitts.

"I know when you're watching on TV, you expect it because he's a professional athlete," said Smith. "There’s a lot of good players in this league. When you watch them, most NFL players can't, it's a hard play for them.

"Then for the lay person, it's damn near impossible."

Smith continued: "That's all across professional sports. You sit there you watch Steph Curry shoot a three and the release is a thing of beauty and the reps he put into that, it's just so damn impressive when you see it up close and sometimes you just hope people don't take that for granted when you're watching some of these professional athletes."

Obviously, the journey is just beginning, as Smith said, "He's got a ways to go. He's a rookie; he's 21 years old. He works every day. He's got the right mindset. I'd argue he's just scratching the surface of a productive year with three [games] to go, that he should impact and hopefully plays better.

"That's not a negative, that's the goal."

The 21-year old rookie tight end Kyle Pitts will get better, will play better, and will impact dozens of games in his Falcons career.

That's good news for the Falcons and bad news for the rest of the league.

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Falcon Report Staff
FALCON REPORT STAFF

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