Kyle Pitts

23-Year-Old Tight EndTE

Atlanta Falcons

2023 Receiving Stats

REC

YDS

667

AVG

12.6

TAR

2024 Projections

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YDS

AVG

TAR

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2024 Fantasy Outlook

Pitts became the first rookie tight end to top 1,000 receiving yards in a season since Mike Ditka in 1961 with 1,026 yards in 2021, but Pitts has just 1,023 receiving yards in two subsequent seasons combined, as the 2021 fourth overall draft pick spent those two years catching passes from a combination of Marcus Mariota, Desmond Ridder and Taylor Heinicke in an offense run by Arthur Smith. Atlanta canned Smith in favor of a new head coach in Raheem Morris, brought in Zac Robinson to be the team’s new offensive coordinator, and most importantly, signed Kirk Cousins (Achilles) to throw Pitts the ball. Atlanta still figures to have a run-first identity after investing a top-10 pick into running back Bijan Robinson in 2023, but the pass catching cupboard is pretty barren behind Pitts and wide receiver Drake London. Cousins figures to elevate all of the team’s pass catchers if healthy, as he averaged at least 266 passing yards per game in each of the past four seasons with the Vikings. Pitts caught twice as many touchdown passes (12) during his 2020 season with the Florida Gators than he has through 44 NFL games, but it’s hard to score when you don’t get the ball, and Pitts saw a meager five red-zone targets in 17 games last year: fewer than the likes or Irv Smith, Kylen Granson and Colby Parkinson. Getting the 6-foot-6 tight end more involved inside the 20 will likely be a priority for Cousins and Atlanta’s new coaching staff. Read Past Outlooks

RANKS

Overall

Tight End

Height 6'6"

Weight 246

DOB 10/6/2000

College Florida

Drafted 1st Rd 2021 #4 Overall

Has 2025 option exercised

TEAtlanta Falcons

April 29, 2024

The Falcons exercised Pitts' 2025 fifth-year option, Field Yates of ESPN reports.

ANALYSIS
It's a no-brainer move for the Falcons, even if Pitts, the No. 8 overall pick of the 2021 Draft, is coming off back-to-back disappointing seasons after going over 1,000 yards as a rookie. The hope in Atlanta is that the acquisition of Kirk Cousins coupled with the new coaching staff can help maximize Pitts' abilities. Pitts' figures to be a popular 2024 rebound candidate in both real life and fantasy football.

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NFL Stats

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Fantasy/Red Zone Stats

See red zone opportunities inside the 20, 10 and 5-yard lines along with the percentage of time they converted the opportunity into a touchdown.

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Advanced NFL Stats

How do Kyle Pitts' 2023 advanced stats compare to other tight ends?

This section compares his advanced stats with players at the same position. The bar represents the player's percentile rank. For example, if the bar is halfway across, then the player falls into the 50th percentile for that metric and it would be considered average. The longer the bar, the better it is for the player.

Air Yards Per Game

59.0

Air Yards Per Snap

1.43

% Team Air Yards

24.9%

% Team Targets

17.8%

Avg Depth of Target

11.1 Yds

Catch Rate

58.9%

Drop Rate

4.4%

Avg Yds After Catch

2.6

% Targeted On Route

19.7%

Avg Yds Per Route Run

1.46

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2023

2022

2021

2023 NFL Game Log

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2022 NFL Game Log

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2021 NFL Game Log

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Snap Distribution / Depth Chart

Snap Counts

Snap %

Falcons 2023 TE Snap Distribution See more data like this | See last season's snap counts

K.Kyle Pitts

J.Jonnu Smith

M.MyCole Pruitt

T.Tucker Fisk

P.Parker Hesse

J.John FitzPatrick

#% of Team Snaps

70164%

62958%

39136%

696%

484%

172%

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#1 TE

Falcons

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How often does Kyle Pitts run a route when on the field for a pass play?

This data will let you see how Kyle Pitts and the other tight ends for the Falcons are being used. Some tight ends may have a lot of snaps, but they're not that useful for fantasy purposes because they're not actually running routes. This data will help you see when this is the case.

Kyle Pitts

458 routes 90 targets

← More Blocking

% Routes Run

More Receiving →

65%

Tucker Fisk

6 routes 1 target

John FitzPatrick

5 routes 1 target

29%

Charlie Woerner

82 routes 3 targets

27%

Receiving Alignment Breakdown

See where Kyle Pitts lined up on the field and how he performed at each spot.

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Side

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2023 Kyle Pitts Split Stats

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Measurables Review View College Player Page

How do Kyle Pitts' measurables compare to other tight ends?

This section compares his draft workout metrics with players at the same position. The bar represents the player's percentile rank. For example, if the bar is halfway across, then the player falls into the 50th percentile for that metric and it would be considered average.

* All metrics are from his Pro Day (not the combine).

Height

6' 6"

Weight

246 lbs

40-Yard Dash

4.44 sec

Vertical Jump

33.5 in

Broad Jump

129 in

Bench Press

22 reps

Hand Length

10.63 in

Arm Length

33.50 in

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46 days ago

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Latest Fantasy Rumors

Gets new quarterback

TEAtlanta Falcons

March 11, 2024

Pitts' outlook for 2024 brightened considerably when the Falcons signed veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins to a four-year contract Monday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

ANALYSIS
After a dynamic 2021 campaign that saw him become just the second rookie tight end in NFL history to top 1,000 receiving yards, Pitts has totaled just 1,023 yards in 27 games over the last two seasons, in large part due to poor quarterback play from the likes of Marcus Mariota, Desmond Ridder and Taylor Heinicke. Cousins should provide a massive upgrade for the entire Atlanta offense, with both Pitts and wideout Drake London potentially poised for breakout performances. The 35-year-old Cousins is coming off a torn Achilles tendon that ended his 2023 season early, but the Falcons clearly don't believe the injury will be an issue after guaranteeing $100 million of his $180 million deal.

See All NFL Rumors

Past Fantasy Outlooks

2023

2022

2021

After coming 50 yards shy of Mike Ditka’s 60-year-old rookie tight end record of 1,076 receiving yards, Pitts had just 356 yards across 10 games in a disappointing 2022 campaign. His poor blocking didn’t mesh with coach Arthur Smith’s run-heavy offense, which led to Pitts spending more than 30 percent of Atlanta’s offensive snaps on the sidelines in five of his 10 healthy games before an MCL sprain ended his season. Pitts caught less than half of his targets in a Falcons offense that ran 55.3 percent of the time, seeing fewer passes than rookie WR Drake London while struggling to build chemistry with QB Marcus Mariota. Rookie QB Desmond Ridder replaced Mariota after Pitts was done for the year and threw only two TD passes in four starts. It looks like a tough environment for receiving production again, though the lack of pass-catching depth at least ensures a huge chunk of the throws will go to London and Pitts. The tight end scored 12 times his final year at Florida but has only three TDs since being drafted fourth overall. Pitts’ mix of size and speed is nearly unparalleled, as the 6-foot-6, 246-pound tight end ran the 40-yard dash in 4.44 seconds. The question now is if he can thrive in Smith's run-first offense while catching passes from Ridder and/or Taylor Heinicke.

Billed as a generational talent out of Florida last season, Pitts was drafted fourth overall and made an instant impact as one of only three tight ends in the league to eclipse 1,000 receiving yards, ranking second all-time among rookie tight ends with 1,026. That’s an impressive rookie season at a position that usually has a steep learning curve, but the notable shortfall in Pitts’ production was a lack of red-zone success, as he found the end zone once on 15 targets inside the 20. With Calvin Ridley suspended this season and Russell Gage (94 targets) off to Tampa Bay, Pitts likely will be the primary target for new quarterbacks Marcus Mariota and rookie Desmond Ridder, even after the team drafted wide receiver Drake London eighth overall this year. The 6-4 London, a former USC basketball player, is considered an elite red-zone target, but that could work in Pitts' favor as defenses can’t double team both players near the goal line. A second-year leap for Pitts in the touchdown department is probable given the recent history of highly drafted tight ends. Six others were selected in the first half of the first round since 2000; those players averaged 1.5 touchdowns as rookies and 4.8 touchdowns in their second seasons. Even in what should be a subpar Falcons offense, Pitts is a strong bet to improve on his rookie-year numbers.

The term "generational prospect" is thrown around too often, but Pitts is the rare case where few argue with that assessment. His 43-770-12 receiving line in an eight-game junior season at Florida was as good as it gets in terms of per-game production from a tight end, a position where even the future NFL stars don't always put up big numbers in college. Pitts also had an impressive sophomore year that included a team-high 54 receptions, and his pro day workout surpassed even the lofty expectations. At 6-6, 245, Pitts put up the fastest 40 time (4.44 seconds) and broad jump (129 inches) among tight ends in this year's draft class. The Falcons saw enough to take him fourth overall, arguably passing up their best chance to find Matt Ryan's successor. Regardless of how that works out from a franchise standpoint, it means Pitts will start his career catching passes from a veteran QB who has a 10-year streak topping 4,000 passing yards, with an average of 4,571 in that stretch. Hayden Hurst still might be the nominal Week 1 starter, but his disappointing 2020 opens the door for Pitts to be Atlanta's top pass catcher at tight end, a role that should come with steady targets after the team traded Julio Jones to Tennessee. While avoiding rookie tight ends might be a good rule in general, a prospect like Pitts is the reason we leave room for exceptions.

More Fantasy News

Gets quarterback upgrade

TEAtlanta Falcons

March 13, 2024

Pitts looks set to benefit from improved quarterback play in 2024 after Kirk Cousins (Achilles) agreed Monday with Atlanta on a four-year, $180 million contract.