The NFL mock draft season is here. Many people, analysts and fans alike, have started to come up with different scenarios for each team come draft time. Mel Kiper Jr. has been in the mock draft game for a long time, and he releases multiple mock drafts each year. In his first mock draft of 2021, Kiper Jr. has the New York Giants selecting Florida tight end Kyle Pitts with the 11th overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. Pitts would be an instant playmaker for an offense desperately lacking everything. Here is everything fans need to know about the monster tight end and why the New York Giants drafting Kyle Pitts would make sense.
New York Giants Drafting Kyle Pitts in 2021 NFL Draft Would Be Smart
The Measurables
Kyle Pitts stands at 6’6, 246 pounds. To put that into perspective, San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle is 6’4, 249 pounds. Aside from the big frame that definitely helps in the pass game, Pitts is a willing blocker, something the Giants have struggled to find in a tight end. They tried to fix this issue last season by bringing in another big tight end, Levine Toilolo, who stands at 6’8, 269 pounds.
Pitts’ big frame translates to a bigger catch radius. His long arms give him an advantage to make contested catches.
College Career
Pitts finished his career at Florida with 100 catches for 1,492 yards and 18 touchdowns. His 2020 season really put teams and fans on notice, where he finished with 770 yards and 12 touchdowns. In just 2020 alone, Pitts became Florida’s all-time leader in yards by a tight end, earned unanimous first-team All-American honors, was the winner of the Mackey Award, which goes to college football’s most outstanding tight end, and set the school’s single-season touchdown record by a tight end.
When one watches Pitts on film, his massive size jumps out immediately. He can go up and make contested catches and also burn opposing defensive backs for a long catch and run touchdown. Another underrated aspect about Pitts’ game is that he is cross-trained at wide receiver, so his route running is superb. Todd McShay, another NFL draft analyst, had this to say in an interview when talking about Pitts:
“He’s always been fast, he’s always been athletic. His ability to get off of (press, man coverage) and then after the catch, with the speed that he has, to just shove (defenders) away … he’s just different than every other player that I’ve watched in college football on the offensive side. I love the contested catches, 50-50 balls are like 80-20 when you’re throwing to Kyle Pitts. And that’s why the quarterback Kyle Trask has so much trust in this guy. He has earned it and he is special.”
Pitts Could Shine With the Giants
Reiterating what general manager Dave Gettleman and John Mara both said, the Giants need playmakers. That does not necessarily mean wide receivers. Do they need better receivers? Absolutely, but Pitts’ ability to move like a wide receiver in a tight end frame really makes him a unique talent.
If the Giants ultimately decide to keep Evan Engram, they could run two tight end sets more, which would allow them to open up the passing game. If they were to bring Pitts into the equation the Giants would have another dynamic playmaker that they could pair with Saquon Barkley, who will be returning from injury.
If the Giants do ultimately decide that Kyle Pitts is the playmaker they want come April, Giants fans should be excited to know that this team finally got themselves a true force at the tight end position.
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