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22 hours ago
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Kyle Pitts has never been as good as he was as an Atlanta Falcons rookie.
Most of the time, it hasn't even felt close.
That doesn't stop the dreaming, though. Pitts was so good then, after having such a high-end draft expectation out of Florida, that it can be hard to believe that all that ability has gone away.
That's why Pitts was named to The Athletic's Offseason All-Hype Team on Thursday.
"Positive sentiment toward Pitts always ages like milk," The Athletic writes in its daily newsletter. "Yet here I am again, allowing one training camp highlight of the 24-year-old to make me declare he is in the best shape since his rookie season, when he had 1,026 receiving yards."
It's amazing that Pitts is still just 24. He won't turn 25 until October.
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He was the fourth overall pick in 2021 by the Falcons.
That rookie season featured the aforementioned 1,026 yards on 68 catches. Somehow, Pitts only had one touchdown with that.
In 2022, Pitts got in just 10 games and had 28 catches for 356 yards and two scores.
Healthy again in 2023, Pitts had 53 grabs for 667 yards and three TDs.
And in 2024, he went for 47 catches, 602 yards and four touchdowns.
And yes, if you're keeping score at home, he has gone 1-2-3-4 so far on his season receiving TD totals.
Pitts will remain tantalizing thanks to his size and speed combination, and because he once proved he can be a star in this league.
But he hasn't been one in a while, and even still, it's hard not to believe in his hype once again.
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