As the Falcons’ new quarterback, Kirk Cousins will be one of the players to keep an eye on when the 2024 season gets underway. However, the performance of running back Bijan Robinson and tight end Kyle Pitts will undoubtedly be crucial to the team’s offensive success.
Upon joining the NFL, both previous top-10 picks were met with enormous expectations. Pitts had impressive results as a rookie, but his 2022 and ’23 seasons were lacklustre. Upon graduating from college, the 23-year-old gained greater recognition for his pass-catching prowess than for his run blocking, so it should come as no surprise that new offensive coordinator Zac Robinson is keen to maintain that aspect of his repertoire as a primary use component.
Regarding the hybrid role Pitts is playing this spring, Robinson remarked, “He has so much flexibility with what he can do even as an in-line blocker, then he’s split out wide” (via D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution). “There’s just so much flexibility here. He is essentially learning how to play two separate roles. Both a tight end and a receiver are present. He’s got a lot on his plate, yet he manages it rather skillfully.
- Throughout Arthur Smith’s tenure as head coach of the Falcons, the Florida alum saw an increase in usage in the slot every season. Pitts’ 2021 performance (68 receptions, 1,026 yards) won him a spot in the Pro Bowl; however, he was only able to play in 10 games the next year because to injury. He made some progress in 2023, finishing with 667 yards and a career-high three touchdowns, but Cousins’s arrival at the position might lead to even more success. It’s intriguing, though, that his deployment in a new scheme will still include classic tight end usage.