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Kyle Pitts Has 'Best TE Film I've Ever Evaluated by Far,' Veteran NFL Coach Says
April 22, 2021
Florida tight end Kyle Pitts continues to rack up superlatives from NFL coaches ahead of next week's 2021 NFL draft.
On Thursday, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler published a piece on Pitts in which he included thoughts from an anonymous NFL offensive coach who has been in the league for nearly 15 years.
"Best tight end film I've ever evaluated—by far," the coach said of Pitts. "Playing him like a traditional tight end is like leaving a Porsche in the garage. You've got to get him out and move him around."
Pitts is unquestionably the top tight end in the 2021 NFL draft, and he has a legitimate chance to come off the board inside the top five picks.
On the heels of a spectacular 2020 season at Florida, Pitts has all the makings of being a transcendent tight end at the next level.
He truly burst onto the scene as a sophomore in 2019 when he reeled in 54 receptions for 649 yards and five touchdowns in 13 games, but he got even better as a junior.
Despite appearing in just eight games, Pitts dominated the competition to the tune of 43 receptions for 770 yards and 12 touchdowns. Those numbers equated to 17.9 yards per catch, which is uncommon for a tight end and speaks to the anonymous NFL coach's assertion that the team that selects him must utilize him in myriad ways.
Pitts also proved last season that he could get it done against the highest level of competition, making seven catches for 129 yards and a score in the SEC Championship Game against the eventual national champion Alabama Crimson Tide.
The top three teams in the 2021 NFL draft are likely to take quarterbacks, but any team picking from fourth on is likely to strongly consider Pitts if he is on the board.
Arguably the best landing spot for player and team would be the Cincinnati Bengals at No. 5, as Pitts could be the versatile weapon that helps 2020 No. 1 overall pick Joe Burrow develop into an elite NFL quarterback.
Top-tier tight ends are more productive now than ever before, and Pitts has a chance to enter the conversation fairly quickly.
The current standard bearer is Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, who has at least 80 receptions and 1,000 yards in each of the past five seasons.
If Pitts can replicate what Kelce has done for the Chiefs, the team that takes Pitts in the 2021 NFL draft has a chance to take a huge leap forward in the coming years.