Atlanta Falcons Rookie TE Kyle Pitts? 'Skepticism' Is Wrong

Pitts is a different sort of guy entering the NFL as a rookie tight end - right?

One has to search long and hard to find the words "Kyle Pitts'' and "skepticism'' in the same sentence. But there it is, right there in black and white, courtesy of ESPN.

I’m optimistic about Pitts’ long-term chances, but history tells us to be skeptical of even the best tight ends during their rookie years.”

That's the take on the No. 4 overall pick in the recent NFL Draft from ESPN’s Bill Barnwell, who has the Atlanta Falcons 2021 offense rating them just 23rd overall in his pre-season rankings.

"Falcons fans will rightfully expect No. 4 overall pick Kyle Pitts to be a star in his first NFL season,'' Barnwell writes ... before suggesting that maybe he won't be.

It is unwise to assume that everything from college transfers straight to the NFL with immediacy. But it is probably worth noting that when we last saw the 6-6, 245-pound sprinter at Florida, in just eight games, he recorded 43 catches for 770 yards, and 12 touchdowns.

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And it might also be unwise to insist that rookie tight ends don't put up numbers. Without surveying every single NFL rookie tight end in history: From Mike Ditka (12 TDs in 14 games in 1962) to Junior Miller (nine TDs in Atlanta in 1980) to Rob Gronkowski (10 TDs in 2010), special talents can produce special numbers - right away.

How special is Pitts? That is sort of the point here. He's not "just a tight end.'' And the Falcons need him. That combination of facts, to Falcons fans, isn't a source of statistical skepticism; Kyle Pitts might be the most optimistic thing of all when it comes to the 2021 Atlanta team.

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