Kyle Pitts has spent most of his NFL life carrying a label that never really fit the player he’s been. The expectations were enormous from the start, and when the Falcons made him the highest-drafted tight end in league history, the idea was that he would change how people viewed the position.
That hasn’t happened in the way the hype suggested, but it’s also wrong to treat Pitts like he’s fallen short of being a good NFL player. He was one of only three tight ends to top 1,000 receiving yards as a rookie, and the idea that he’s been a bust doesn’t hold up. In 2025, he finally delivered the kind of breakout season Atlanta needed from him, posting career highs in receptions and touchdowns.
The Falcons’ new regime believed enough in that version of Pitts to hand the 25-year-old a three-year, $54 million extension. It’s a team-friendly deal, and it has drawn some criticism. Now Pitts has another reason to keep pushing in 2026.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler surveyed more than 70 NFL scouts, coaches and executives for rankings of the 10 best players at every position, and Pitts landed eighth among tight ends. That’s solid on paper, but the list also feels like a sign of how quickly perception can shift in this league.
“If he's confident and you believe in him, he will ball out," an NFL coordinator said. "If he gets involved early, he can be the most dominant player on the field."
Even with that praise, Pitts was placed behind Tucker Kraft, Colston Loveland and Tyler Warren. That’s a tough sell.
Kraft broke out in 2025 when healthy, but he missed more than half the season because of a season-ending injury. Loveland barely made a mark in Chicago until late in the year, when his playoff showing did most of the talking.
Warren’s production also dipped without Daniel Jones.
Pitts, by contrast, has a longer and stronger résumé. Since 2021, he ranks fourth among tight ends in receiving yards, trailing only Mark Andrews, Travis Kelce and George Kittle. At 6-foot-6 and 250 pounds, he moves like a oversized receiver, and Atlanta is essentially paying him to function as its WR2.
There’s also the part people keep overlooking: Pitts has had to deal with rough quarterback play and shaky play-calling. An aging Matt Ryan is the best quarterback he’s worked with, and even with those limitations, he has still produced. The source material points to Kevin Stefanski and Tua Tagovailoa in 2026 as the setting for what should be his best year.
For Pitts, the money was only one hurdle. The doubt is still there, and Fowler’s rankings handed him another dose of motivation.
A lot of people still see the expectations first and the production second. The numbers say otherwise.
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For the Falcons, the bigger point is that the clip was never just a social media novelty. Branch has continued to train at eye-catching speeds as he prepares for camp, and Atlanta is planning to use him as both a receiver and a return man. In a league that never stops chasing speed, Branchs challenge now is turning the fascination around his wheels into a role that matters once the games start. [Read more 🡒]