PFF: Kyle Pitts is NFL's Fourth-Best TE, Before Ever Playing a Game

Kyle Pitts has yet to play a down in the NFL, but as an NFL Draft prospect, the former Florida tight end was considered generational and even a potential Hall of Famer.

Now with the Atlanta Falcons after being selected fourth overall, the expectations for Pitts as a pro remain through the roof. Pro Football Focus, in the process of ranking the top 32 players at every position in the NFL, already considers Pitts to be a top-four talent among his peers at tight end.

4. KYLE PITTS, ATLANTA FALCONS

This may be early for a player who has yet to take an NFL snap, but it’s a reflection of the caliber of prospect Pitts is coming out of Florida. He’s just different.

Pitts has an absurd catch radius at 6-foot-6 with 33.5-inch arms, and he pairs that frame with high-end speed and rare cutting ability at his size. Those measurables helped lead to a 96.1 receiving grade this past season at Florida. The Falcons’ decision to pair him with

Julio Jones

and

Calvin Ridley

in Arthur Smith’s new offense poses a difficult challenge for defensive coordinators in the NFC South.

Above Pitts on PFF's list, in order: Kansas City's Travis Kelce, San Francisco's George Kittle, and Las Vegas' Darren Waller. Others such as New England's Hunter Henry and Jonnu Smith, Baltimore's Mark Andrews, Philadelphia's Dallas Goedert, and Miami's Mike Gesicki interestingly fell behind Pitts in the rankings. Each of those players has not only played but also found significant success at the NFL level.

Still, for the purposes of the list, it's understandable why Pitts is so highly respected. Pitts is an elite-caliber athlete and his physical profile translates to the playing field, seen by Pitts' 12 touchdowns in eight games while averaging 17.9 yards per catch in his junior and final season at Florida.

We'll see if Pitts can live up to his ranking as a rookie. Tight ends traditionally take more time than players at most other positions to transition to the speed of the NFL, but like PFF said, Pitts is just different than your usual tight end.