Pitts Reportedly No Longer An Option for Dolphins

If you're a longtime Miami Dolphins fan, it's understandable to be having flashbacks to the 1998 NFL draft just about now.

The Dolphins will not have a chance in the 2021 draft to land Florida tight end Kyle Pitts, based on an ESPN report from Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano.

This is what the report said: "So while obviously things could change if San Francisco pulls a surprise at No. 3 or if someone offers the Falcons a major haul to move up to No. 4, Atlanta is expected to stay put and take Pitts, whom some would tell you is the best player in the entire draft."

The Dolphins, of course, would have had the chance to select Pitts at number 3 without the two trades they made to first go down to 12 and then back up to 6.

Exactly what kind of interest the Dolphins ever had in Pitts likely will remain a mystery for a long time if he does end up in Atlanta, but there's a chance they could regret giving up the third pick if he ends up being as good an NFL player as many analysts are projecting.

This is where the similarities to 1998 come into play because the Dolphins that year traded down from 19th to 29th in the first round before they had a chance to watch Randy Moss slide down the draft.

There are differences between the Moss and Pitts drafts because Moss was viewed as an immensely talented prospects but one who came with major off-the-field concerns, to the point where some teams had taken him off their draft board.

With Moss still on the board, the Green Bay Packers used that number 19 pick to take defensive lineman Vonnie Holliday — who would play for the Dolphins from 2005-06 — before Moss went to the Minnesota Vikings at number 21.

Meanwhile, the Dolphins ended up using the 29th overall pick on running back John Avery, who ended up being traded to Denver early in his second NFL season for another 1998 first-round disappointment, wide receiver Marcus Nash.

Of course, there won't be a need for regret if either the Dolphins hit with their first pick in the 2021 draft or Pitts doesn't become an NFL star.

For the moment, though, it's understandable to be a bit nervous about it if you're a Dolphins fan of a certain age.