FLOWERY BRANCH – The Falcons’ prize tight end Kyle Pitts is getting used to his newfound celebrity status that comes with being selected No. 4 overall in the NFL draft.
“I went into (a sports apparel store) and saw my jersey,” Pitts said. “I was like, this is real. It was kind of like shocking to have my actual jersey in the store and people buying it. Just seeing the people walking around in it was pretty crazy.”
Pitts has soaked it all in while working during his first training camp. After a spectacular career at Florida, Pitts, who’ll open this season as a 20-year-old, is expected to make an immediate impact as a rookie.
Historically, tight ends have not made a major impact in their rookie campaigns.
Before Pitts, Riley Odoms was the highest drafted tight end since the 1970 NFL-AFL merger. Odoms, who played at the University of Houston, was taken with the fifth overall pick of the 1972 draft by the Denver Broncos.
Odoms went on to play 12 seasons, make four Pro Bowls and was named All-Pro twice, but he didn’t start a game as a rookie. He played in 14 games, caught 21 passes for 320 yards and had one touchdown.
Star tight ends Ozzie Newsome (1978, 23rd overall), Kellen Winslow (1979, 13th overall), Tony Gonzalez (1997, 13th overall), Antonio Gates (2003, undrafted), Travis Kelce (2013, third round, 63rd) and George Kittle (2017, fifth round, 146th) did not make immediate impacts on their teams.
Newsome started all 16 games, but had only 38 catches for 589 yards and two touchdowns. Winslow played in only seven games, with a start. He had 25 catches for 255 yards and two touchdowns. Gonzalez caught 33 of 54 targets (61.1%) for 368 yards and two touchdowns.
Newsome, Winslow and Gonzalez went on to have fine careers and are enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Gates, a former basketball player at Kent State, retired after the 2018 season and is in the middle of his five-year waiting period to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. He played in 15 games, made 11 starts, caught 24 of 42 targets (57.1%) for 389 yards and two touchdowns as a rookie.
Kelce played in only one game as a rookie, and Kittle played in 15 games, making seven starts, and caught 43 of 63 targets (68.2%) for 515 yards and two touchdowns.
The last tight end to make a major impact as a rookie was Jeremy Shockey. In 2002, he caught 74 of 127 targets (58.2%) for 894 yards and two touchdowns for the Giants. He was named All-Pro as a rookie after he was selected 14th overall in the draft.
In 1962, future Hall of Famer Mike Ditka had a rookie-record 1,076 yards receiving in a 14-game season. He finished with 56 catches and 12 touchdowns after being taken fifth overall in the draft and eighth overall in the AFL draft by the Houston Oilers.
Teams used to ease rookies into action, but in the free-agency era, teams expect rookies to play right away.
“My first year in the NFL, I suffered a serious back injury,” Hall of Fame wide receiver Calvin Johnson said during his induction speech Sunday. “It was so bad at the moment, I couldn’t feel my legs, and I thought my career would be over.”
He still did enough for teammate Roy Williams to nickname him Megatron.
“But going into that second year, I made up my mind that I was going to be the best and most dominant receiver in the NFL every time I stepped onto the football field. ... It was my second year when that Megatron mindset was born.”
Johnson was 6-foot-5 and 237 pounds during his rookie season in 2007, while Pitts is 6-6 and 245 pounds.
Johnson, who played at Georgia Tech and was taken No. 2 overall in the draft in 2007, played in 15 games and made 10 starts as a rookie. He caught 43 of 98 targets (43.8%) for 756 yards and four touchdowns.
The Falcons have put a lot on Pitts’ plate. They have him moving around in several different formations with the goal of helping him to get open on pass plays.
“The fact that we can use him in multiple ways, I think very much fits coach (Arthur) Smith’s offensive play design,” Falcons owner Arthur Blank said. “I’m not sure where you’ll find him. You probably won’t find him at quarterback. That’s maybe the only position he won’t be playing. Looking forward to seeing Kyle on the field and playing.”
With the trade of seven-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Julio Jones, the Falcons are in need of a major offensive weapon. Pitts is trying to block out the expectations.
“We have different things going on in the building, so I just worry about what’s going on in the building,” Pitts said.
The challenges of the NFL started to become apparent to Pitts during the offseason OTAs.
“Everybody is fast,” Pitts said. “You have to show your speed every play.”
Pitts has made some electrifying catches during practices as he is establishing a relationship with quarterback Matt Ryan.
“I think it is coming along very well,” Pitts said. “Every day just coming out here to do the best I can to be in the right place at the right time.”
Ryan and position coach Justin Peelle have been helpful.
“They are all on the same page,” Pitts said. “Matt is coming from a player standpoint, where he may put the ball or how I can shape a route. The coach is telling me from a technical standpoint. Just being able to put those two things together and perform.”
Rest and recovery have been key for Pitts.
“I’ve been going to sleep like between 9:30 and 10 (p.m.). That’s the time you need to go to sleep so that you can wake up feeling fresh,” Pitts said. “In college, you used to sleep late and just run off of pure athleticism, but here you can’t. You have to get sleep and recovery. Take care of your body and stay in your playbook.”
One night during OTAs, Pitts couldn’t sleep and woke up feeling drowsy.
“I was like, OK, I can’t do this anymore. I have to figure out a way to get better sleep so that I can wake up and perform at the highest level,” Pitts said. “Now, I’m in the bed at 9:45 and going to sleep at 10 (p.m.)”
Smith, a former tight end position coach, knows that Pitts is facing a tough transition.
“Well, it’s really all of the rookies,” Smith said. “It’s a big adjustment. They are going to go through it. They are going to struggle certain days. You want to see how they respond. It’s not going to be perfect for them. It’s a foreign environment.”
While Pitts played in the rugged SEC, the competition level is much higher in the NFL.
“Obviously, the competition, everybody is pretty good in the NFL, the guys that play on Sundays,” Smith said. “You want to see how they adapt. It’s not overreacting and keeping the big picture in sight.”
The Falcons are trying to be wise with Pitts and the rest of the rookie class.
“You want to make sure they are improving, and they are not just all of a sudden reaching a point when you are getting diminishing returns,” Smith said. “You have to look at it (and ask), can a player not handle this? (Are you) asking him to do too much?”
Smith believes Pitts and the rest of the rookies will get a chance to prove themselves in the exhibition games and during next week’s joint practices with the Miami Dolphins.
“Overall, with this rookie class I’m pleased, but they are rookies,” Smith said. “They have a ways to go. It is a mature rookie class. I am excited to see them play.”
Pitts plans to manage the lofty expectations.
“Just push it off to the side,” Pitts said. “That day was that day. I’m blessed to have it and have those accolades. Those days are over. Now, I’m here trying to make myself the best I can be every day.”
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