Trading Kyle Pitts for a draft pick would be a good move for the Falcons

FLOWERY BRANCH — It’s possible Falcons general manager Ian Cunningham was simply being strategic by declining to say Kyle Pitts isn’t available in a trade.

It’s better to let other GMs think Pitts is on the market, just in case one of them wants to make an offer Cunningham can’t refuse.

But, if that were the case, then you figure Cunningham (no relation) would at least signal that the Falcons value Pitts and are happy to have him on the roster. He didn’t do that when asked about reported trade interest in the tight end.

“I would say, for all the players, we are going to listen,” Cunningham said Monday at the team’s headquarters. “I wouldn’t just say Kyle. All players, we are going to listen. That’s our job.

“That doesn’t mean that’s going to happen. But people call, we’ll listen.”

Teams might be calling about Pitts, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. He reported Pitts is among the players who “could gain interest” for a trade during the draft, which begins Thursday night.

If that happens, then trading Pitts is an opportunity the Falcons should take at the right price.

Pitts is a good player, but the Falcons need a first-round draft pick, or more picks overall, more than they need Pitts. Cunningham has said more than once that he “loves” draft picks, and the Falcons only have five in this draft.

The previous regime traded away the 2026 first-round pick to the Rams to move up and select pass rusher James Pearce Jr. in last year’s first round.

The pick the Falcons sent to the Rams ended up being No. 13 overall. The highest pick the Falcons hold is No. 48. The others are Nos. 79, 122, 215 and 231.

That doesn’t seem to be enough draft capital to move into the first round.

“There’s ways (to move up),” Cunningham said. “We’ve been going through some of those scenarios and trying to find value of certain players, prospects, positions. We will have some of those conversations (about) whether or not we want to trade up to go get those players.

“To your point, by not having a lot of draft picks this year, there’s other methods you can do that if there is a player there that you highly covet.”

The other options for Cunningham are to trade future picks or players. But he should be adding draft picks, not trading them. And among players on the roster with trade value, Pitts is the most expendable.

Pitts didn’t reach his potential until he entered his contract year in 2025, his fifth NFL season. That’s probably why the Falcons only committed to him for one more year. Pitts is under contract for $15 million after the Falcons used the franchise tag to keep him off the free agent market.

They could sign Pitts to a long-term contract by July 15, but they shouldn’t. It’d be better to acquire draft capital for Pitts or, failing that, just let him play on the one-year deal.

Surely there are other teams that think they can help Pitts continue to perform like he did in 2025. Pitts had 88 catches for 928 yards and five touchdowns while cutting down on drops and improving his blocking.

When Pitts is at his best, he’s a matchup nightmare for opponents.

There might not be a team that’s willing to invest in Pitts with a first-round pick and rich contract. The Falcons would do well to get a pick in the second or third round for Pitts. They could also acquire a later pick along with a solid player at a position of need.

If Pitts were traded, then Austin Hooper would be the best tight end left on the roster. He hasn’t been a starter for a while, but the Falcons could make up for Pitts’ production by selecting a wide receiver in the draft.

Cunningham said that position group is deep.

“You’ve got some really good players at the top, and you’ve got some players with different skill sets in the middle of the rounds,” he said. “Players that the beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Players that fit certain flavors whether they are big, physical possession-type guys or those slots that can get in and out of breaks and get open and move the chains.”