Questionable
Injury Knee - MCL
Est. Return 6/15/2023
2022 Receiving Stats
REC
28
YDS
356
TD
2
AVG
12.7
TAR
59
2023 Projections
2023 Fantasy Outlook
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. Read Past Outlooks
RANKS
#64.06
ADP

Not practicing yet
Pitts (knee) isn't practicing this week, Josh Kendall of The Athletic reports.
ANALYSIS
Pitts spent the winter rehabbing from November surgery on a Grade 2 MCL sprain, and given the typical return timeline it's possible he's already back to full strength and is just absent from voluntary OTAs or being brought along cautiously. Earlier reports had him on schedule in the recovery process, and Falcons coach Arthur Smith said this week that he expects all the players absent from practice this week to be ready for training camp. The knee is probably less of a concern than how Pitts fits in Smith's run-heavy offense, after he dropped from 60.4 yards per game and 9.4 per target as a rookie to 35.6 YPG and 6.0 YPT last season. The Falcons will continue running often after using the eighth overall pick on RB Bijan Robinson, but it's at least a safe assumption that whatever passing volume they have will largely go to Pitts and WR Drake London. It's harder to say if the trio of top-10 picks -- one from each of the past three drafts -- can help second-year QB Desmond Ridder become an efficient passer.
Pitts spent the winter rehabbing from November surgery on a Grade 2 MCL sprain, and given the typical return timeline it's possible he's already back to full strength and is just absent from voluntary OTAs or being brought along cautiously. Earlier reports had him on schedule in the recovery process, and Falcons coach Arthur Smith said this week that he expects all the players absent from practice this week to be ready for training camp. The knee is probably less of a concern than how Pitts fits in Smith's run-heavy offense, after he dropped from 60.4 yards per game and 9.4 per target as a rookie to 35.6 YPG and 6.0 YPT last season. The Falcons will continue running often after using the eighth overall pick on RB Bijan Robinson, but it's at least a safe assumption that whatever passing volume they have will largely go to Pitts and WR Drake London. It's harder to say if the trio of top-10 picks -- one from each of the past three drafts -- can help second-year QB Desmond Ridder become an efficient passer.
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' 2022 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.
The longer the bar, the better it is for the player.
Air Yards Per Game
75.3Air Yards Per Snap
1.81% Team Air Yards
20.1%% Team Targets
14.6%Avg Depth of Target
13.0 YdsCatch Rate
47.5%Drop Rate
3.4%Avg Yds After Catch
4.9% Targeted On Route
28.5%Avg Yds Per Route Run
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2022
2021
2022 NFL Game Log
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Snap Distribution / Depth Chart
Snap Counts
Snap %
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
207 routes 59 targets
18 routes 2 targets
113 routes 11 targets
150 routes 38 targets
Receiving Alignment Breakdown
See where Kyle Pitts lined up on the field and how he performed at each spot.
Detailed
Grouped
Side
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2022 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 lbs40-Yard Dash
4.44 secVertical Jump
33.5 inBroad Jump
129 inBench Press
22 repsHand Length
10.63 inArm Length
33.50 in
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Past Fantasy Outlooks
2022
2021
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.
More Fantasy News

Rehab progressing on schedule
Falcons tight end coach Justin Peele said Monday that Pitts (knee) is "on schedule" in his recovery, Josh Kendall of The Athletic reports.
ANALYSIS
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Officially done for the season
Head coach Arthur Smith ruled Pitts (knee) out for the season Wednesday, Tori McElhaney of the Falcons' official site reports.
ANALYSIS
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Undergoes surgery Wednesday
Pitts announced Wednesday via his personal Instagram account that he underwent surgery to repair a Grade 2 MCL sprain in his right knee.
ANALYSIS
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Set for surgery
Falcons head coach Arthur Smith said Wednesday that Pitts will require surgery to address his right knee injury, Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com reports.
ANALYSIS
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Grade 2 MCL sprain likely
Pitts likely has a Grade 2 MCL sprain in his right knee, D. Orlando Ledbetter of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.
ANALYSIS
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