Kyle Pitts Prediction - from Falcons Legend Tony Gonzalez

Gonzalez on Pitts: He’ll get a lot of one-on-one match ups and when he’s covered, he’s not covered.”

Maybe it takes one to know one.

“I think Kyle is going to have an outstanding year,” Pro Football Hall of Fame tight end Tony Gonzalez says of Atlanta Falcons prized rookie Kyle Pitts.. “He’ll get a lot of one-on-one match ups and when he’s covered, he’s not covered.”

Pitts seems destined to become the heir to the Gonzalez throne as an elite weapon from the tight end spot, with QB Matt Ryan able to utilize him and Calvin Ridley, a young All-Pro-level wide receiver in his own right. 

READ MORE: Is Kyle Pitts Ready for the Eagles?

New head coach Arthur Smith is about ready to unveil his offense on Sunday in the 1 p.m. NFL opener against the Philadelphia Eagles.

And what we might see from Pitts could remind us of what we so often saw from Gonzalez in his days in Kansas City and Atlanta.

“I’ve got to believe that in the red zone Kyle will be used a lot,”  Gonzalez says via the AJC. “Just line him out there and throw the ball up in the air. Get him one-on-one, nobody will be able to guard him.”

It might be worth noting that all the same things the NFL saw in the University of Florida product Pitts (with him being the No. 4 overall selection in the NFL Draft) and all of the things that fans, media and Gonzalez see will not be foreign concepts to Philly. which happens to be Pitts’ (and Ryan’s) hometown. In other words, how and when to win matchups involving Pitts might soon become Job 1 for everyone the Falcons oppose.

Is a Rookie of the Year season upon us? Is Kyle Pitts truly “The Next Tony G.”? of Jeremy Shockey and Evan Engram are attainable. Shockey had 894 yards in 2002, which is the most by a rookie tight end in the 

The path to becoming an all-time great Falcon is not an easy one. But it a clear one. Tony Gonzalez sees it. And on Sunday, the rest of the football world gets to see it, too.

READ MORE: Super Bowl Path: Atlanta Falcons What to Watch