NFL Tight Ends Ranked: Falcons’ Kyle Pitts Top 5?

Kyle Pitts made his mark after just one pro season

The Atlanta Falcons are a team that in the last decade has featured wide receivers known for stretching the field (Julio Jones, Roddy White, Calvin Ridley).

Kyle Pitts is changing the game as a non-wideout who stretches the imagination.

His debut season, which resulted in the most yards (1,026) by a rookie tight end since Mike Ditka, gave head coach Arthur Smith and the Falcons’ staff a new offensive weapon to utilize in 2021, with more room to grow in Year 2.

But for now, how does Pitts stack up among some of the veterans around the NFL?

ESPN created a ranking of the NFL’s top tight ends after speaking with dozens of personnel people and coaches around the league.

Pitts is ranked fifth on the list.

ESPN’s analysis:

Last year's voters telegraphed Pitts as a top-five tight end after his rookie year, and he fulfilled that promise with a 1,026-yard season in Atlanta, making him the first rookie tight end since Mike Ditka to hit that mark.

"He'll be in that Waller and Kelce class after next year," an NFL coordinator said. "He doesn't even know what he's doing yet -- wait until he figures it out." … Pitts had only one touchdown catch, though, and his 61.8% catch rate was 22nd among tight ends.

The criticisms here seem fair. So do the projections.

The former Florida Gator became the highest drafted tight end in NFL history, being taken fourth overall in the 2021 draft. Pitts played in all 17 games and became quarterback Matt Ryan’s favorite target after Ridley stepped away.

Pitts rounds out a top five that includes San Francisco’s George Kittle, Kansas City’s Travis Kelce, Las Vegas’ Darren Waller and Baltimore’s Mark Andrews.