Kyle Pitts’ play in NFL training camp is garnering a lot of attention

You don’t have to be an expert scout to recognize the sheer improbability of Kyle Pitts‘ athletic profile. He has the athleticism and ball skills of a wide receiver with the size and blocking ability of a tight end. There’s a reason Pitts has drawn comparisons to some of the league’s best tight ends like Travis Kelce and George Kittle.

Though training camp is never a perfect indicator of success during live-game action, Pitts’ play is certainly turning some heads in Atlanta. According to Connor Orr of Sports Illustrated, he’s been one of the preeminent rookie receivers so far.

“It seems, more than most, Kyle Pitts (Falcons), Rondale Moore (Cardinals) and Elijah Moore (Jets) are the receivers garnering the most attention,” Orr wrote. “Training camp is built for outliers who have elite size and or speed, which makes sense. Some of the drills we’re seeing produce these highlight catches force defensive backs to cover a big-bodied Pitts or force defenders to keep track of the speedy (and deceptively strong) Moore, who has myriad ways to win during a practice rep.”

Pitts’ matchup advantages in college were simply unfair, but it seems even NFL defensive backs aren’t much match for him. Training camp highlights like the one below illustrate show just how good he is at going to get the ball. Even if quarterback Matt Ryan struggles, Pitts can bail him out if the pass ends up in his general vicinity.

However, Orr is a little bit lukewarm when it comes to these rookie pass-catchers. Not because of their talent, but because they’ll have to overcome whatever limitations may exist on their team. But he also said that if any of them will be able to replicate what they do on the practice field in a game, it’s Pitts.

“Pitts likely has the best chance of carrying the hype over given his size and ability to post up on smaller defenders,” he said. “Strength and size are largely undefeated at the NFL level when a player has that type of body control.”

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There are no guarantees in the NFL, but there has also never really been a tight end prospect quite like Kyle Pitts. He’s considered to be as close to a sure thing as you can find in this league, and after the Falcons traded star receiver Julio Jones this offseason, Ryan will need a new favorite target.

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