Merriam-Webster defines the word “enigma” as “something hard to understand or explain.” The thesaurus would say that’s the first four seasons of Atlanta Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts‘ NFL career.
The No. 4 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft out of Florida, Pitts registered just one touchdown in his rookie season but also logged 68 receptions for 1,026 receiving yards — which ranked third among tight ends. Pitts’ 2022 campaign ended after 10 games due to a torn MCL. Then, from 2023-24, Pitts averaged just 50 receptions for 634.5 yards and 3.5 touchdowns per season. Last season, Pitts ranked 33 out of 37 among tight ends with a 59.6 overall grade, according to Pro Football Focus.
As a pass-catcher, Pitts can be explosive. At times, he has shined as a primary catalyst in Atlanta’s passing game, while other times he has been inconsistent and a tertiary factor. The mixed results are why the 6-foot-6, 250-pound tight end is entering the final season of his rookie deal with an extension looking unlikely. With Bijan Robinson already one of the best running backs in the league and wide receiver Drake London emerging as a star force on the outside, Pitts’ value to Atlanta isn’t what it once was.
With that in mind, here are the three best trade destinations for Pitts, should the Falcons entertain offers for the 2021 top-five pick this summer.
The Packers are coming off an 11-6 season. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)
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A starting tight end isn’t a burning need for the Packers, especially with Tucker Kraft emerging as a force at the position. But adding a new dimension to the offense, which Pitts would do, could be a compelling avenue for the Packers to try and get on the Detroit Lions‘ and Minnesota Vikings‘ level in the NFC North.
Green Bay selected Texas wide receiver Matthew Golden with the No. 23 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft and TCU wide receiver Savion Williams at pick No. 87, but one might argue that the team still doesn’t have a true No. 1 receiver. Packers running back Josh Jacobs opined so earlier this offseason. Furthermore, they haven’t had a player at any position total 1,000 receiving yards since Davante Adams in 2021.
Pitts would give the Packers a deadly option down the seam who can line up in multiple spots, giving them another young player with upside. In a potential trade, the Packers could send one of their young wide receivers (e.g. Romeo Doubs or Dontayvion Wicks) and a late-round pick to the Falcons, should they choose to refrain from dealing a future second-round pick. Such a move would also balance out Green Bay’s wide receiver room in relation to its tight end room.
What could stop a trade from taking place, though, is Green Bay feeling that Pitts’ arrival would be a mere minor enhancement and not worth moving a trade package of significance. Atlanta may also primarily value draft compensation in a Pitts trade.
The Jets signed Fields to a two-year deal after releasing Aaron Rodgers. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images)
The Jets are in the Aaron Glenn era — and potentially the Justin Fields era, as well. And if New York wants the Fields era to be more than one-and-done, acquiring another talented pass-catcher would pay dividends.
Along with moving on from quarterback Aaron Rodgers this offseason, the Jets released star wide receiver Davante Adams and lost starting tight end Tyler Conklin in free agency. Meanwhile, wide receiver Malachi Corley (the No. 65 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft) had just three receptions in his rookie season.
New York did select LSU tight end Mason Taylor in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft and has fourth-year tight end Jeremy Ruckert. But, as currently constructed, the Jets have one player in their passing game that scares defenses: wide receiver Garrett Wilson. Pitts would give Fields, who’s getting the chance to start on a permanent basis for the first time since 2023, another dynamic player to lean on.
Furthermore, Pitts would fill the void created by Conklin’s departure at tight end, while taking some attention off Wilson on the outside and not forcing offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand to rely on a rookie tight end on Day 1. The Jets need offensive linchpins, and taking a chance on Pitts thriving in their system could turn into a long-term partnership to both sides’ benefit.
All that said, what could halt the Jets from taking a flier on Pitts is them potentially having hesitation about giving up assets to acquire a crucial offensive playmaker when the team is already taking a flier on its starting quarterback.
The Jaguars traded up to draft 2024 Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter. (Photo by Logan Bowles/Getty Images)
The 2025 season is a big one for the Jaguars. They have a new head coach in Liam Coen, quarterback Trevor Lawrence is coming off a disappointing season and one might argue that every team in their division, the AFC South, has more reason to be bullish about the long haul. What could help the Jaguars, who made the 2022 AFC divisional round and began the 2023 season at 8-3, get back on track? Getting Lawrence another weapon at a position of uncertainty.
One could argue that tight end Evan Engram — who registered 114 receptions in 2023 — was the Jaguars’ most consistent source of offense from 2022-23, before an injury-plagued 2024 season that ultimately resulted in him being cut prior to free agency. Tight end Brenton Strange showed promise as a pass-catcher last season, totaling 40 receptions for 411 yards and two scores, but this was an offense that was 25th in the NFL in total yards (306.2 yards per game) and 26th in scoring (18.8 points per game) last season: If an upgrade or opportunity to add impactful depth presents itself, why shut the door on the possibility?
Plus, it remains to be seen how often Travis Hunter, who played both wide receiver and cornerback in college, will play both ways in the NFL. Pitts would immediately be a featured element of Coen’s offense and potentially give the Jaguars a dynamic offensive attack around Lawrence with the former Gators tight end, Hunter, wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. — a Pro Bowler in his 2024 rookie season — and the running-back duo of Travis Etienne and Tank Bigsby.
The Jaguars gave up a plethora of valuable picks, including their 2025 second-rounder and 2026 first-rounder, to move from No. 5 to No. 2 in the 2025 NFL Draft and take Hunter. That said, they also acquired two 2026 third-rounders from the Lions in a Day 2 trade and have a combined four picks in the first three rounds of the 2026 draft: Jacksonville could acquire Pitts and still have at least a pair of Day 2 picks next year.
Pitts replaces Engram as an athletic option at tight end for the Jaguars, and he can be Lawrence’s go-to when he has to get rid of the ball in a jiff.
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