The Atlanta Falcons have some pretty high hopes for the 2025 NFL season and perhaps for good reason. They think they have their quarterback of the future in Michael Penix, they addressed the pass rush with a veteran free agent and two first-round picks, and they play in an eminently winnable NFC South division.
However, they also have some question marks and that includes tight end Kyle Pitts. Drafted fourth-overall (the highest for a tight end since 1957 when tight ends were just called “ends”) four years ago, Pitts has woefully underachieved, causing some observers to label him as a first-round bust.
Former Falcons wide receiver Roddy White recently sat down with Vegas Insider and offered his thoughts on the guy that many are eager to slap with the “B” word.
“I love Kyle Pitts,” White said. “One thing that’s been hampering him throughout his career in Atlanta is not being able to have a really good offseason with things like surgeries or rehabbing injuries.
“He’s been unlucky in that sense. He needs to have an offseason where he comes in healthy, gets through OTAs, minicamps and spends a full camp getting reps with Penix Jr.”
Like many, White is extremely impressed with Pitts’ natural, physical skills.
“He’s a really big target,” he continued. “He has excellent hands and can run really well. He does a lot of things naturally.”
White wants Pitts to get back to his Florida roots
The Falcons reached for Pitts at No. 4 back in 2021 for a reason. He was an athletic freak with drool-inducing abilities and frankly, he still is. White, a former first-round pick himself back in 2005, thinks the Falcons need to focus on what made Pitts successful at the University of Florida.
“To accelerate his progression, the Falcons need to find ways to let him do what he did in college,” White said. “He’s shown how good he can be though. He had a really good rookie season with Matt Ryan throwing him the ball where he was used similar to how he was used at the University of Florida.
“They have to find ways to get him up the seam and get one-on-one matchups with linebackers and safeties because he’ll make a lot of plays on them. I think he’s going to have a great year this season. He’ll be well prepared, and I just want him to stay fully healthy throughout the 17-game season.”
One NFL agent disagrees with White’s assessment of Kyle Pitts
Many will think that White is being optimistic and painting a rosy picture of Pitts’ future. That’s probably the case because White seems like a classy guy who isn’t going to publicly make waves and rip the fifth-year player.
There are others who aren’t so nice. One agent addressed the Pitts trade rumors that were swirling and told Heavy last month that Pitts doesn’t have much polish to his game.
“He looks like he doesn’t care,” the agent said. “He’s a tremendous athlete, but a below-average tight end. If he doesn’t win with athleticism, he’s not a savvy route runner who can get open at the top of his routes. He brings next to nothing to the run game. There is a group of general managers who will always give a former first-round pick a second chance.
“So, he’ll probably do better than he should based on his play, but I’d maybe give him $4 million with some upside. You can’t count on him to be your starter, so you can’t pay him like one.”
Falcons fans should hope that White is correct and that there is still reason for hope with Pitts. However, it will probably only be for another year in Atlanta as they have plenty of young talent coming up for contract extensions and Pitts will likely be the odd man out regardless of how 2025 goes.
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