Why Falcons TE Kyle Pitts is Atlanta's 'Driving Force'

Atlanta Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts followed his Pro Bowl rookie campaign with just 28 receptions, 356 yards and two touchdowns last season.

When the Atlanta Falcons drafted tight end Kyle Pitts with the No. 4 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, he was the first piece to this current young core. 

And it didn't take long to see why the Florida product is still the highest drafted tight end in league history - posting 68 receptions, 1,026 yards and a Pro Bowl nod as a rookie. 

However, with a new quarterback in Marcus Mariota under center, Pitts failed to follow-up that impressive campaign throughout his second season, while also being limited to just 10 games. 

"Pitts is arguably the most-hyped tight end coming out of college in recent memory," SI writes. "After dominating to the tune of 1,492 yards and 18 touchdowns at Florida, Pitts made the Pro Bowl as a rookie. However, he was limited to 10 games last year, totaling 28 catches for 356 yards and two scores."

Now surrounded by fellow young pieces in quarterback Desmond Ridder, wide receiver Drake London and running backs Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier, the 22-year-old Pitts enters this season as the only one among that group with two years of NFL experience. 

"The Falcons didn’t draft Pitts to be a good player—they drafted him to be special," SI writes. "So far, he’s shown glimpses but is yet to put the entire package together. For Atlanta to reach the playoffs, Pitts needs to be a driving force."

And with health on his side, there is reason for optimism that he can lead this offense to a postseason berth. 

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Follow Riley Sheppard on Twitter @RileyDSheppard.

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