Former Florida tight end Kyle Pitts is the talk of the 2021 NFL Draft leading up to the annual event in Cleveland next week. A generational prospect, many consider Pitts to be the best non-quarterback in the draft class.
There’s a good reason for this. The 6-foot-6, 245-pound pass-catcher absolutely dominated elite-level SEC defenses over the course of his final two seasons with the Gators. That span saw him haul in 97 passes for 1,419 yards and 17 touchdowns in just 21 games.
Coming off running a 4.44 40-yard dash at the Florida Pro Day, there’s now talk that Kyle Pitts could go as high as No. 4 overall to the Atlanta Falcons. Heck, the San Francisco 49ers would seem to be a good fit if they shockingly decide to avoid quarterback at three. Below, we look at the four-best potential landing spots for Pitts in the 2021 NFL Draft.
San Francisco 49ers
“While the player comparison for the purposes of this scouting report is Darren Waller, Pitts may have the traits and talent to create mismatches similar to those created by Calvin Johnson and Tyreek Hill. His rare blend of size, athleticism and ball skills are reminiscent of Megatron’s. His ability as a pass-catching tight end could force defenses in his division to alter the way they construct their roster,” NFL Media’s Lance Zierlein noted in his scouting report of Pitts recently.
Imagine this for a second. Pitts lined up in the slot in Kyle Shanahan’s offense with All-Pro tight end George Kittle off tackle and the likes of Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel at wide receiver. Add in game-breaking running back Raheem Mostert, and it would matter little who is under center.
Sure the 49ers are going to go quarterback at three. With that said, we can’t help but look at a potential Kyle Pitts fit in Northern California.
Miami Dolphins
After rumored interest in Deshaun Watson, it now looks like Miami is intent on building an elite skill-position group for second-year quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. The addition of deep threat Will Fuller during NFL free agency adds another layer to this. After moving down from the third selection to sixth overall, the Fins seem to be a darn good fit for Pitts.
The idea here would be to team him up with underrated tight end Mike Gesicki in two tight-end formations. Pitts also boasts the ability to play both the slot and outside at wide receiver. This would pretty much give Dolphins offensive coordinators Eric Studesville and George Godsey an elite young toy to play with.
Cincinnati Bengals
Joe Burrow tossing the rock to Kyle Pitts in Cincinnati. This fit would almost be too good to be true. Prior to suffering a torn ACL last season, Burrow was on pace to break multiple rookie quarterback records. He has a solid young receiver in Tee Higgins and the reliable Tyler Boyd. What’s missing is a legitimate No. 1 receiving threat.
We would be highly intrigued to see how Zac Taylor’s offense might look with Pitts in the mix next season. Add in the presence of stud running back Joe Mixon, and this could end up being a top-10 offense. And while left tackle might be the bigger need at five, Pitts to the Bengals would be all sorts of interesting.
Dallas Cowboys
We’re hearing reports that Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is infatuated with the idea of adding Pitts to the mix in next week’s NFL Draft. Why the heck not? After spending a ton of money to re-sign Dak Prescott, continuing to build around the quarterback would make a ton of sense.
Just imagine Pitts teaming up with the likes of Ezekiel Elliott, Amari Cooper, CeeDee Lamb and Michel Gallup at the skill positions in Dallas’ offense. Honestly, it wouldn’t matter how bad the Cowboys’ defense is. This is a unit that would average well north of 30 points per game and take control in the pedestrian NFC East.
More must-reads: