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

Kyle Pitts will be cheaper than any First-Round receiver and is capable of putting up the same if not better production

There are those who wonder why the Falcons didn’t take LSU wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase, who was the number one consensus wide receiver, to replace Julio Jones on the outside. Many considered Chase to be a better prospect than Kyle Pitts and he would be able to fill the Jones’ role on the offense.

One thing Atlanta may have considered when choosing between these two prospects is the long-term expense of these players and who they will be paying on their roster long-term. Financially speaking it makes more sense to take a dynamic playmaker at tight end than at wide receiver as well for Atlanta.

As they enter their rebuild there aren’t many young players on their roster they believe will be a part of their future. However, the best young player on their roster that they will have to extend within the next few seasons is wide receiver Calvin Ridley.

Since Atlanta took Ridley in the first round in 2018 he has developed into a very capable number one receiver and one of the best young receivers in the league. Ridley is entering his fourth season and last year on his rookie deal before he plays on his fifth-year option worth $11.1 million. But based on current trends of star skill position players entering the fifth year of their rookie deal, Ridley may hold out for an extension before the 2022-23 season. As long as Ridley continues his current projection he should be paid as one of the top receivers in the league.

Ridley could receive a contract making around $25-$28 million per year.

Fast forward to 2025 or 2026, if the Falcons selected Chase with the fourth overall pick they could have to pay him top-tier wide receiver money as well. The Falcons would then be investing close to if not more than $60 million in salary-cap space in two wide receivers. That is a large percentage of the salary cap space considering they would have to think about paying the rest of the team. They could be in a position to pay a quarterback, offensive linemen, and a couple of defensive players around that time as well.

However, paying a tight end to a second contract is significantly cheaper than a wide receiver. According to Over the Cap, the current highest-paid tight end in the league George Kittle makes an average of $15 million per year which is $12.25 million cheaper than the highest-paid receiver per year DeAndre Hopkins. To put into perspective, the closest wide receiver salary to Kittle’s is Jarvis Landry of the Cleveland Browns. So the 49ers get the production of Kittle for $100K less than the Cleveland Browns pay for Landry.

So if Kyle Pitts were to have an amazing first 4-5 seasons with the Falcons and potentially become the highest-paid player at the position, he would likely get paid as a mid-tier number one receiver for top-3 tight end production. That price tag would be considered a steal considering the output he would have and wouldn’t take up a large percentage of salary cap space.

Even if Kyle Pitts developed into a borderline Pro Bowl player and was paid as such, he wouldn’t be making more than a solid second wide receiver for a team. For example, both Hunter Henry and Jonnu Smith were paid $12.5 million a year by the New England Patriots.

That is the same average salary per year as the New York Jets are paying their new wide receiver Corey Davis who has never been considered more than a second option in the passing game during his time in Tennessee.