WATCH: Falcons Star TE Kyle Pitts Makes Circus Catch at Training Camp
Atlanta Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts stemmed to the right before sinking his hips, breaking outside and working up field.
Matching everything with anticipation and physicality was Falcons corner Teez Tabor, who was in prime position to make a play on the ball.
Until he wasn't.
The pass by rookie quarterback Desmond Ridder was far more inside than preferred, but it didn't matter. Pitts, the 6-6, 245-pound "unicorn," went over the top of the six-foot, 191-pound Tabor to miraculously make the catch.
But for a second, he didn't. Tabor made a textbook play on the ball to knock it out of Pitts' hands, surely forcing the incompletion. Except Pitts isn't like everybody else. The highest drafted tight end in NFL history and a Pro Bowler at age 21, Pitts did what he always does - the extraordinary.
Showing unbelievable hand-eye coordination to locate the football, Pitts extended his right arm and hauled in the deflected pass as Tabor helplessly dragged him to the ground.
The play encapsuled the way Pitts' camp has gone, except for the portion where Tabor was in good position. Apart from All-Pro corner A.J. Terrell and blossoming second-year safety Richie Grant, Pitts has been uncoverable.
With his physical tools and ball skills, Pitts is open even when coverage is tight, as Tabor found out the hard way.
After leading the Falcons in targets (110), receptions (68) and yards (1,026) as a rookie, Pitts looks poised to put up even bigger numbers in year two. The goal for Pitts will be avoiding the ever-popular "sophomore slump," and establishing himself as one of the game's elite tight ends.
Some might argue he's already there, and with his traits and historic rookie year production, it's a fair sentiment. Regardless, if Pitts shows improvement - according to him, the mental aspect is the biggest area of growth needed - he could be in store for another special season.
So far, Pitts looks quicker, faster and more fluid than he did as a rookie, despite being an elite athlete upon arrival in the NFL. With his special athletic profile and knack for hauling in absurd catches like the one at Friday's practice, Pitts has officially put the league on notice.
