Kyle Pitts is a top priority for the Atlanta Falcons in 2024

NFL.com’s Kevin Patra listed the top priorities for every NFL team, from an extension for Justin Jefferson to making a case for the Cincinnati Bengals to stay healthy for once. For the Atlanta Falcons, the priority is simple: get the most out of the highest-drafted tight end in NFL history, Kyle Pitts, in 2024.

We could deliberate on the Falcons’ quarterback situation for the billionth time since the team stunned the league by drafting Michael Penix Jr. eighth overall on April 25 after paying big money for Kirk Cousins earlier this offseason. But it will be years before we have a clear idea of ​​how that decision played out. Instead of treading that water, let’s move on to something more tangible for the 2024 Falcons. Since rushing for 1,026 yards as a rookie, Pitts has struggled. Over the past two seasons, he has totaled 1,023 yards on 81 catches and five touchdowns. He lacked strength in traffic and missed opportunities for YAC. Were these issues simply the product of a bad quarterback situation? The Falcons added Darnell Mooney and Rondale Moore to complement No. 1 WR Drake London, but for the offense to be explosive, Pitts must exploit the linebackers and safeties. Cousins ​​has used his tight ends liberally in the past, so Pitts should have plenty of opportunities to show that his lack of production wasn’t an issue of talent or focus.

Some have called 2024 a breakthrough year for Pitts, and while it’s probably not that dramatic, it shouldn’t be surprising that people are expecting returns on Pitts in his fourth year in the league. Despite the stats, Pitts is still highly regarded as an offensive weapon in the league with his unique blend of agility, size and speed. In 2021, Pitts was one of the most efficient tight ends in the league, averaging 2.02 yards per route run (4th best among tight ends), according to PFF. To put that into perspective, Ja’Marr Chase (2.02), Trey McBride (2.03), and Michael Pittman, Jr. (2.04) all had similar marks in yards per route run in 2023.

Over the past two years, especially last season with that lingering injury, Pitts has been unable to break the two-yard mark in yards per route run. The presence of Mooney and Moore as London’s complement will leave ample opportunity for Pitts to work against the physically limited linebackers and safeties tasked with covering him, opening a window of opportunity for another breakout season.