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Kyle Pitts was still the right pick for Atlanta after trading Julio Jones

By Christopher Thomas

May 25, 2021; Flowery Branch, GA, USA; Atlanta Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts (8) catches a pass during Falcons OTA at the Falcons Training Complex. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
May 25, 2021; Flowery Branch, GA, USA; Atlanta Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts (8) catches a pass during Falcons OTA at the Falcons Training Complex. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports /
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Jan 27, 2020; Miami, FL, USA; San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle (85) greets Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce (87) during Super Bowl LIV Opening Night at Marlins Park. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 27, 2020; Miami, FL, USA; San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle (85) greets Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce (87) during Super Bowl LIV Opening Night at Marlins Park. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports /

Tight Ends have played larger roles for offenses than in the past

The Falcons may be following the blueprint of adding foundational pieces to their team before taking their future franchise quarterback. Whoever follows Matt Ryan as the team’s starter will now have an excellent weapon in Kyle Pitts who lines up at tight end, but basically plays receiver. During the predraft process, Pitts was being hyped up to be the best tight-end prospect to come out of college since Tony Gonzalez was drafted in 1997.

A legitimate receiving threat at tight end is rare to find across the leagues as only a few teams have players at the position that are legitimate game-changers. But in recent years, star tight ends have shown that they are more than blockers and receivers over the middle and that they could actually be just as dangerous as wide receivers. The stars at the position have been rewriting record books in recent years.

If Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce did not sit out the last game of the regular season, he most likely would have become the first tight end in NFL history to finish a season as the league leader in receiving yards. A few years prior in 2018, Kelce and San Fransisco 49ers tight end George Kittle both topped Rob Gronkowski’s record for receiving yards by a tight end he set in 2011. Also, that season Philadelphia Eagles tight end Zach Ertz broke the record for most catches in a single season by a tight end with 116. This past year, Las Vegas Raiders tight end Darren Waller and Travis Kelce finished third and fourth all-time in that category behind Ertz and Jason Wittens 2012 season.

There are plenty of teams around the league who have tight ends as their first or second option in the passing game. Those teams include the San Fransisco 49ers, New England Patriots, Kansas City Chiefs, Detriot Lions, Baltimore Ravens, Green Bay Packers, and now the Atlanta Falcons. Of the seven teams mentioned three of them made the playoffs last season. Five of the teams mentioned have made the playoffs in the past two seasons.

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