Florida tight end Kyle Pitts will be a first-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.
Pitts, who caught 43 passes for 770 yards and 12 TDs for the Gators as a sophomore in 2020, compares Pro Football Hall of Fame wide receiver Calvin Johnson to his measurements.
The pits are 6-5, 245 pounds with 83-inch wingspan. He scores 4.44 runs in a 40-yard dash. He has a 33.5-inch vertical and 22 reps at 225 pounds. He would have been one of the main attractions of the NFL Scouting Combine with those numbers.
Johnson was No. 2 in the 2007 NFL Draft, but he was a receiver. Pitts is a tight end, and this makes him in some ways a more intriguing prospect due to his history at the position.
MORE NFL DRAFT: Complete 7-Round Mock | Top 100 Big Boards
How many tight ends were there in the first round?
Since the first general draft in 1967, a total of 56 tight ends have been selected in the first round. Penn State was selected with the No. 7 pick by Penn State in 1969 and Ted Qualick.
Of those 56 tight ends, a total of 28 have at least one Pro Bowl appearance.
Highest tight ends in NFL history
Since 1967, a total of 14 tight ends have been selected with top-10 picks.
Denver took Riley Odoms With the No. 5 overall pick in the 1972 NFL Draft – the highest pick for a tight end.
| year | The player | pick up the | Team | College |
| 1972 | Riley Odoms | 5 | Denver | Houston |
| 2006 | Vernon Davis | 4 | San francisco | Maryland |
| 1973 | Charlie young | 4 | Philadelphia | Usc |
| 2004 | Kellen Vincello II | 4 | Cleveland | Miami, Fla. |
| 1970 | Steve zabel | 4 | Philadelphia | Oklahoma |
| 1969 | Ted kwalik | . | San francisco | Penn State |
| 1980 | Junior miller | . | Atlanta | Nebraska |
| 1974 | Javi can | . | St. Louis | Colorado |
| 1978 | Ken McAfee | . | San francisco | Notre dame |
| 1973 | Paul seymour | . | Buffalo | Michigan |
| 2019 | TJ Hockenson | . | Detroit | Iowa |
| 1996 | Ricky Dudley | 4 | Oakland | Ohio State |
| 1995 | Kyle brady | 4 | Ny jets | Penn State |
| 2014 | Eric Ibron | 10 | Detroit | North carolina |
Of those tight ends, Vernon Davis had the best career. He finished with 583 receptions for 7,562 yards and 63 TDs. Davis enjoyed a 14-year career, which was productive, and he could be better than Pitts. Davis was 6-3, 248 pounds and ran at NFL Combine at 4.39.
How risky is drafting a tight end in Round 1?
There is a bust factor at work. A total of 20 of those 56 tight ends – or 35.7 percent – finished with fewer than 2,000 receiving yards for his career. A total of 16 – or 28.5 percent – finished with more than 5,000 receiving yards for his career. Here’s a look at the most productive first-round tight ends in NFL history:
| year | The player | pick up the | Rec | Yds | TDS |
| 1997 | Tony gonzalez | 13 | Is 1,325 | Is 15,127 | 111 |
| 2007 | Greg Olsen | 31 | Is 742 | Is 8,683 | 40 |
| 1978 | Ozzy News | 23 | Is 662 | Is 7,980 | ४ 47 |
| 2006 | Vernon Davis | 4 | 583 | Is 7,562 | 63 |
| 1979 | Kellen Winslow | 13 | 541 is | Is 6,741 | 45 |
| 2005 | Heather miller | 30 | 592 | Is 6,569 | 45 |
| 2002 | Jeremy hockey | 14 | 547 is | Is 6,143 | 3. |
| 2004 | Benjamin watson | 32 | 547 is | Is 6,058 | 4 |
| 2001 | Todd Heap | 31 | Is 499 | Is 5,869 | 42 |
| 1972 | Riley Odoms | 5 | 396 | Is 5,755 | 41 |
| 2003 | Dallas clark | 24 | Is 505 | Is 5,665 | 53 |
| 1988 | Keith Jackson | 13 | 41 | Is 5,283 | ४ ९ |
| 1975 | Rus Francis | 14 | 393 | Is 5,262 | 40 |
| 2004 | Kellen Winslow II | 4 | ४६ ९ | Is 5,236 | 25 |
| 1973 | Charlie young | 4 | 6118 | 5,106 | 2. |
| 1970 | Raymond chester | 24 | 364 | Is 5,013 | ४ 48 |
Gonzalez, Newsome and Winslow are members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and Clarke is a candidate to join them at Canton. The 5,000-yard limit would be the minimum requirement that teams draft the pits with the first round.
First-round TEP draft since 2010
Here’s a look at the tight ends drafted in the first round since 2010 and their production in the NFL has been taken up to this point:
| year | The player | pick up the | Rec | Yds | TDS |
| 2010 | Germani Gresham | 21 | 377 | Is 3,752 | 29 |
| 2013 | Tyler ifert | 21 | 221 | 2,501 | 24 |
| 2014 | Eric Ibron | 10 | 339 is | Is 3,753 | 32 |
| 2017 | Ivan Ingram | 23 | 216 | Is 2,420 | 13 |
| 2017 | David noku | 29 | 112 | Is 1,279 | 1 1 |
| 2018 | Hayden Hurst | 25 | 4 | 1,083 | 4 |
| 2019 | Noah Fantastic | 20 | 102 | Is 1,235 | 4 |
| 2019 | TJ Hockenson | . | 4 | Is 1,090 | . |
Hockenson and Fant have enjoyed success in their first two seasons. Ebron produces the most, but many of these tight ends have struggled with injuries and inconsistencies over the course of their careers.
Kyle Pitts drafts projections
Atlanta Falcons (No. 4)
The Falcons will be the first team not to take a quarterback, and the Pitts will fit into an offense that already has Julio Jones and Calvin Ridley. Hayden Hurst is in Atlanta, however, Ja’Marr Chase is a candidate at the venue.
Cincinnati Bengals (No. 5)
Pennai Sewell is a better bet to deal with The Bengals Oregon. The pits can open in the middle of the field and can be a major red-zone target for Burrows. However, Cincinnati already tried it with Jermaine Gresham (2013) and Tyler Eifert (2013).
Miami Dolphins (No. 6)
Miami has shuffled around the draft board through trades, and that would be a question of who the quarterback Tua Tagovelloa wants. Would it be better advice for Alabama receivers Divonta Smith or Jaylen Wadle to know Dolphin in advance to fit here?
Carolina Panthers (No. 8)
The Panthers traded for Sam Darnold, so it’s unlikely (but still possible) they take a quarterback here. The Panthers had a pair of 1,000-yard receivers in DJ Moore and Robbie Anderson last season, and would be the perfect target to add the pits.
Dallas Cowboys (No. 10)
The Cowboys have a loaded offense, and Dak Prescott is on the road to recovery. Add pits to the mix, and it becomes one of the best offenses in the NFL around Ezekiel Elliott, Amari Cooper, CD Lamb and a solid offensive line. Jerry Jones can splash here, and is a good fit.
Philadelphia Eagles (No. 12)
We see Pitts not falling further than this, and if he does not reach number 10, a team can trade to get the star title end. Zach Ertz has been a trade candidate through the dynasty, and drafting Pitts will make that move easier.
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