Atlanta Falcons: Drafting Kyle Pitts would help red-zone woes

Drafting Kyle Pitts with the No. 4 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft would definitely help improve the Atlanta Falcons red zone woes.

Matt Ryan will most likely be the Atlanta Falcons starting quarterback for at least the 2021 season, which makes sense. And most Falcons fans should be happy about it. While the franchise could consider a quarterback with the No. 4 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, if Florida tight end Kyle Pitts is available, then the brass in Atlanta has to seriously consider pulling the trigger.

The one area other than pass rush that the Falcons have struggled with the past couple of years is the red zone offense. They cannot seem to score touchdowns in the red zone, which is no secret. There is a reason why Younghoe Koo led the NFL in field goals and points scored in 2020. The Falcons could not finish the job in the red zone with six points.

Ryan was at his best (not under offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter) when the play-action game was working and he had a reliable tight end. This is not a knock against Hayden Hurst by any means but he was not used properly under Koetter.

Although Hurst has the potential to be a great player, he is entering the last year of his contract and we all know the Falcons cap situation is not pretty. Tough decisions are going to have to be made.

How Kyle Pitts would alleviate the Atlanta Falcons’ red-zone issues

One less tough decision that can be made would be to draft Pitts. The bottom line is Kyle Pitts is a red zone threat and has the potential to be the second coming of Travis Kelce. Pitts is smooth, fluid and creates matchup nightmares for opposing defenses. Most likely, this will translate over to the NFL on Sundays.

Getting rid of Hurst would be a lot less difficult (if necessary) with Pitts waiting in the wings to ball out and take the league by storm. From a salary cap perspective, this just makes too much sense, specifically if the Falcons don’t want to pay Hurst.

Another reason this makes so much sense is that Pitts is a physical freak of nature. Not only is he the best tight end in the 2021 draft class but the general consensus is that he’s also the best receiver in the draft, which says a lot.

Is drafting Pitts at No. 4 a huge need? No, it’s not at all — but the opportunity might just be too ideal to pass up. If the Atlanta Falcons do not draft Justin Fields, Zach Wilson or Trey Lance to address the quarterback situation or Penei Sewell to address the offensive line woes, then Pitts is the name you want to hear with the No. 4 pick.

Pitts can help take this offense to another level. Ryan is at his best and MVP-level playing days when he had a play-action game and a reliable tight end. Ryan helped send Austin Hooper to the Pro Bowl and we all know about Tony Gonzalez and what he did for the Falcons offense and Ryan.

The only knock on Pitts is his blocking. The effort is there, although he does need to put on some weight and get stronger. If he can get that down and can improve in that area, the sky’s the limit for his future on Sundays. If the Atlanta Falcons are not addressing the quarterback situation or the offensive line at No. 4 in the 2021 draft, then the pick should be Kyle Pitts; end of story.