Philadelphia Eagles: Drafting Kyle Pitts at pick #6 would be risky

One of the more intriguing prospects in this year’s draft class, Philadelphia native TE Kyle Pitts has started soaring up mock drafts as of late. With a desperate need for receiving talent moving forward, and a newly implanted coaching staff that is spearheaded by an offensive-minded head coach, the Philadelphia Eagles have quickly been pinned as a landing spot.

For starters, Pitts is genuinely an impressive prospect. The hype that has followed his name is much warranted, especially when you look at the way he facilitated success at Florida University.

A 6-5, 240lbs pass-catching machine, Pitts is somewhere between an undersized TE and an oversized WR. Florida used him all over the place in 2020 – lining him up at tight end, outside receiver, and even slot receiver. Whether it was using his speed and athleticism to blow past slower linebackers, or using his size and physicality to overpower smaller defensive backs, Pitts produced in essentially every receiving position possible.

He finished 2020 with 43 catches, 770 receiving yards, and 12 receiving TDs. He really caught the attention of scouts during his monster SEC Championship performance, where he recorded 7 catches for 129 yards going up against the ever impressive Alabama defense.

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When studying Pitts’ college film, a few things really stood out to me.

Number one being his route running, as he routinely created amounts of separation that aren’t normal for a player pushing 240lbs. Second was his ability to operate above the rim, as he routinely rewarded his quarterbacks with successful catches on “50/50 balls.” Lastly, Pitts proved to be a willing run blocker. While his ability to block obviously isn’t *great* by any stretch of the imagination due to his smaller frame, he definitely showed a desire to get involved in the trenches.

There’s risk to the Philadelphia Eagles potentially drafting Kyle Pitts.

With all of that said, there’s definitely an element of confusion(?) when it comes to what Pitts’ role should be in the NFL. Is he strictly a pass-catching TE, like Darren Waller, who you can build an offensive scheme around? Is he a stereotypical “X” receiver who simply played the wrong position in college? Is he a bigger than average slot option who operates best in between the numbers, like Michael Thomas for example?

Or is Pitts somewhere in between all of that – simply his own, unique player.

While the Philadelphia Eagles could definitely use someone of Pitts’ caliber on their below average receiving staff, there’s a sense of uncertainty to the former Gator. Some scouts are signaling that he needs to be cross-trained at multiple positions (which isn’t easy), and others are saying that whichever team drafts him needs to completely build their scheme around the pass-catching TE.

While the Eagles are definitely in a bit of a crossroads when it comes to their respective offensive scheme, asking Nick Sirianni and his very young staff to quickly pivot to that of a TE-hybrid-oriented-passing-attack (that was a mouthful) could cause some short-term challenges.

The Colts (Sirianni’s old team) didn’t have a tight end record over 500 receiving yards in both 2019 and 2020, with Jack Doyle only mustering up 251 yards last year. Throw in the fact that Dallas Goedert needs his fair share of targets in 2020 as well, and it’s hard to pin Sirianni and the Eagles as an ideal fit for Pitts.

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Ultimately speaking, the decision to draft/pass on Kyle Pitts will rest on Howie Roseman’s shoulders. If Howie and his scouts believe Pitts really is the second coming of George Kittle, they should probably draft him.

However, it wouldn’t come without an element of risk. Whoever drafts Pitts will likely have to dedicate quite a bit of time to developing/reworking their offensive philosophies, and it’s hard to see the Philadelphia Eagles being in the position to do that.

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