Kyle Pitts is undoubtedly the best TE in this draft class. Pitts, the 2021 John Mackey Award winner, had an exceptional senior season that impressed many people with his combination of size and athleticism.
Pitts was a four star coming out of Archbishop Wood Catholic High School and was the number four player in the state of Pennsylvania. He received over 20 scholarships, but chose Florida.
Junior Season Stats
The Florida tight end hauled in 43 catches with 770 yards and 12 touchdowns. He averaged an astounding 17.9 yards a reception in 8 total games played his senior season. His best game came in the season opener against Ole Miss, where he caught 8 passes for 170 yards and 4 touchdowns.
Strengths
At 6’6′ and 240 pounds, Pitts has great size at tight end. Along with his frame, he has the speed and athleticism of a wide receiver. His size and speed make him an absolute matchup nightmare for opposing defenses. Pitts is also an exceptional route runner for his size. He creates separation almost effortlessly against linebackers in man coverage. Against defensive backs, he uses his height and is great at high pointing the ball, making it easy for quarterbacks to just throw it up to him against a shorter defender. With all of those great attributes, he also has Deandre Hopkins-like hands, which put him above all of the other tight ends in this class.
Here is draft expert Mel Kiper’s take on Pitts’ game –
Weaknesses
Let’s keep this short and sweet. There are zero noticeable weaknesses in Pitts’ game. If I had to pick one small thing it would be that he is not the greatest run blocker. Other than that, his game was almost flawless his junior season.
Comparison and Draft Projection
Comparison – Darren Waller
Draft Projection – Round 1, Pick 10 (Dallas Cowboys)
The Cowboys already have a lot of offensive fire power as it is, but adding Pitts would put them at another level. Although I see him as a top three player in this draft, the positional value will make him fall to 10, if the Eagles don’t grab him at six.