Falcons fans, meet your new tight end—Kyle Pitts.
The 20-year-old, who played for the University of Florida, was selected No. 4 overall and is now the highest tight end ever drafted. Pitts was named a first-team All-American and won the John Mackey Award as the most outstanding tight end in college football this past season.
He is the first tight end to go in the top five in 49 years (ex-Broncos Pro Bowler Riley Odoms went fifth in 1972). Only four tight ends (Vernon Davis in 2006, Eric Ebron in 2010, T.J. Hockenson in 2019 and Kellen Winslow in 2004) have gone in the top 10 over the last 24 drafts.
Pitts was also the first tight end to be named a Fred Biletnikoff award (top wide receiver) finalist after catching 43 passes for 770 yards and 12 receiving touchdowns—tied for third-most in the FBS—in eight starts.
He’s a dual-threat as a pass-catching tight end, and with being 6’6″ and 245 pounds, Pitts can be a difficult matchup for linebackers and often too big against cornerbacks.
Like several of the other draft prospects, Pitts is one of the first players to join the league who was born in 2000. Trey Lance was the first player to be drafted born at the beginning of the millennium.
The Falcons went 4-12 last season, and head coach Arthur Smith will likely use Pitts all over the field.
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