Fantasy Upside
Anybody who followed the process leading up to the 2021 NFL Draft knows just how incredible Kyle Pitts was at Florida. He is a wide receiver in a tight end's body. He's one of those players that you could have places anywhere and he'd instantly upgrade the offense. The Falcons made Pitts the highest-drafted tight end in NFL history at No. 4 overall.
The Falcons and their new regime of head coach Arthur Smith and general manager Terry Fontenot absolutely have high hopes for Pitts, selecting him over a potential future quarterback like Justin Fields or Mac Jones. He and Calvin Ridley will gobble up targets from Matt Ryan, which is why he is currently sitting as a top-five tight end heading into drafts.
Fantasy Downside
Pitts will have a mantra around him beyond his control: rookie tight ends in fantasy very often do not produce. But Pitts is ready to break that glass ceiling and produce one of the best seasons ever for a rookie tight end. Hayden Hurst may still be around to take some targets, but not enough to make him very fantasy-relevant behind Pitts.
2021 Bottom Line
Off the heels of what Arthur Smith was able to do for Jonnu Smith in Tennessee, we can only be extremely excited to see what he'll do for Pitts in Atlanta. The interesting question will be can he break Rob Gronkowski's record of ten touchdown receptions as a rookie tight end? It's possible.
