After the Falcons lost their first two games of the season, many around the league began to question the team’s decision to use the No. 4 overall pick on Kyle Pitts, the highest a tight end has ever been selected in the history of the NFL draft. That skepticism is quickly disappearing after Pitts exploded for 17 catches, 282 yards and a touchdown over the past two weeks combined.
The Falcons’ Week 7 win over the Dolphins couldn’t have happened without the rookie’s career-high 163-yard performance. He caught two key passes on the team’s game-winning drive and looks like he’s ready to be Atlanta’s No. 1 option even with Calvin Ridley on the field.
Through six games, Pitts has 31 catches, 471 receiving yards and one touchdown. At this pace, the former Florida Gators standout will finish the year with 88 catches for 1,335 yards — which would be the most ever by a rookie tight end by quite a bit.
As Pitts looks to climb the ranks over the remainder of the year, let’s take a look at the top 10 single-season yardage totals for rookie tight ends in NFL history.
