Kyle Pitts

Kyle Pitts

22-Year-Old Tight EndTE
Atlanta Falcons
Questionable
Injury Knee - MCL
Est. Return 6/15/2023
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
$Signed a four-year, $32.91 million contract with the Falcons in June of 2021.
Not practicing yet
TEAtlanta Falcons
Knee - MCL
May 25, 2023
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.
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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' 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. 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
    The number of air yards he is averaging per game. Air yards measure how far the ball was thrown downfield for both complete and incomplete passes. Air yards are recorded as a negative value when the pass is targeted behind the line of scrimmage. All air yards data is from Sports Info Solutions and does not include throwaways as targeted passes.
  • Air Yards Per Snap
    The number of air yards he is averaging per offensive snap.
  • % Team Air Yards
    The percentage of the team's total air yards he accounts for.
  • % Team Targets
    The percentage of the team's total targets he accounts for.
  • Avg Depth of Target
    Also known as aDOT, this stat measures the average distance down field he is being targeted at.
  • Catch Rate
    The number of catches made divided by the number of times he was targeted by the quarterback.
  • Drop Rate
    The number of passes he dropped divided by the number of times he was targeted by the quarterback.
  • Avg Yds After Catch
    The number of yards he gains after the catch on his receptions.
  • % Targeted On Route
    Targets divided by total routes run. Also known as TPRR.
  • Avg Yds Per Route Run
    Receiving yards divided by total routes run. Also known as YPRR.
Air Yards Per Game
75.3
 
Air Yards Per Snap
1.81
 
% Team Air Yards
20.1%
 
% Team Targets
14.6%
 
Avg Depth of Target
13.0 Yds
 
Catch Rate
47.5%
 
Drop Rate
3.4%
 
Avg Yds After Catch
4.9
 
% Targeted On Route
28.5%
 
Avg Yds Per Route Run
1.72
 
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2022
2021
2022 NFL Game Log
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2021 NFL Game Log
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Snap Distribution / Depth Chart
Snap Counts
Snap %
Atlanta FalconsFalcons 2022 TE Snap Distribution See more data like this | See last season's snap counts
#% of Team Snaps

61961%
41541%
30830%
14314%
515%
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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
207 routes   59 targets
← More Blocking
% Routes Run
More Receiving →
50%
18 routes   2 targets
35%
113 routes   11 targets
18%
150 routes   38 targets
37%
Receiving Alignment Breakdown
See where Kyle Pitts lined up on the field and how he performed at each spot.
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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 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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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.
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
Rehab progressing on schedule
TEAtlanta Falcons
Knee - MCL
January 30, 2023
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
TEAtlanta Falcons
Knee - MCL
November 30, 2022
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
TEAtlanta Falcons
Knee - MCL
November 30, 2022
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
TEAtlanta Falcons
Knee - MCL
November 23, 2022
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
TEAtlanta Falcons
Knee - MCL
November 22, 2022
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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