Falcons Training Camp 3 To Watch: Tight End
Find yourself a partner who loves you as much as Atlanta Falcons coach Arthur Smith loves the tight end position.
Atlanta's second-year boss arrived with the outside perception that he valued the position but took it to a different level when he and general manager Terry Fontenot made Kyle Pitts the highest drafted tight end in NFL history.
Smith further confirmed the narrative in his opening campaign with the Falcons, as the team ran the third-highest rate of 12 personnel (two tight ends) across the league.
While the usage almost certainly won't change in 2022, the personnel will, as Atlanta lost tight ends Hayden Hurst (free agency) and Lee Smith (retirement) this offseason. In their place are veteran free agent Anthony Firkser, who thrived under Smith in Tennenssee, and sixth-round draft pick John FitzPatrick.
With the group sure to see significant snaps this season, here are three tight ends to watch in training camp.
Kyle Pitts
One of six rookies to make last year's Pro Bowl, Pitts is quickly emerging as a star for the Falcons. Arriving with enormous expectations as a top-5 pick, Pitts trailed only Mike Ditka in receiving yards among rookie tight ends in league history.
Pitts entered the season being unable to legally drink and closed it as Atlanta's leader in targets (110), receptions (68) and yards (1,026). Perhaps most impressive about the 21-year-old's rookie season is that he did so without much help around him.
When the Falcons selected Pitts, he was poised to join an offense that featured star receivers Julio Jones and Calvin Ridley. As things played out, Jones was traded shortly thereafter, and Ridley played just five games before opting out due to mental health reasons.
With Atlanta adding receivers Drake London and Bryan Edwards this offseason, Pitts should have a stronger supporting cast and has a chance to see more 1-on-1 matchups. 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 physical 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.
Anthony Firkser
Firkser, 27, is a sixth-year pro who went undrafted out of Harvard, but quickly carved out a niche with the Titans, posting 19 receptions for 225 yards in his second professional season.
Smith, then Tennessee's offensive coordinator, guided Firkser to a career year in 2020, racking up highs in targets (53), receptions (39) and yards (387). Atlanta's coach and play-caller also worked with Firkser as the Titans' tight end's coach. There's an element of trust between the two, making Firkser one of the Falcons' more intriguing, under-the-radar offseason additions.
Firkser will fill Hurst's role as Atlanta's versatile "F" tight end, moving around from H-Back to the slot when needed. Hurst played in 13 games with five starts during an injury-plagued season that saw him record 26 receptions, 221 yards and three touchdowns.
While Firkser likely won't rank very high on Atlanta's offensive pecking order, he should prove to be an efficient, reliable target. Hurst hauled in nearly 84 percent of his targets a year ago, and Firkser's two-year average in the category is north of 75 percent.
Barring something unforeseen, the Harvard graduate won't come particularly close to Pitts' production. However, in Smith's offense, Firkser will have a chance to make an impact.
John FitzPatrick
For years, Falcons fans implored the team to draft Georgia Bulldogs players, and with the selections of FitzPatrick and left guard Justin Shaffer, the team did just that.
On paper, the 6-7, 250-pound FitzPatrick offers prototypical size, but doesn’t bring much statistical college production; he totaled just 17 receptions for 200 yards and one touchdown across 38 games.
However, the passing game isn’t where FitzPatrick makes his money. With his size and physicality, he’s an outstanding run blocker who can create big holes at the end of the line of scrimmage, a particularly important strength for the Falcons’ wide-zone scheme.
FitzPatrick has a direct path to playing time in Atlanta, as he should slide seamlessly into Lee Smith’s role as the top blocking tight end. Smith retired in January after 11 seasons in the NFL.
Despite catching only nine passes for 65 yards, Smith started six games for the Falcons last season, and appeared in 16 contests. He played almost 30 percent of the offensive snaps, and an additional 14 percent on special teams.
Even more so than Firkser, FitzPatrick is quite unlikely to come close to the receiving output of Pitts. Still, considering the role Lee Smith played Atlanta's offense a season ago, FitzPatrick will get an opportunity to see the field early in his professional career.
