The beginning of Kyle Pitts’ career seemed to get off to a bit of a slow start, but that’s only because expectations were so high to begin with. Tight end is one of the most difficult positions to make the transition from college to the NFL, and Pitts is doing about as well as anyone before him. After last week’s breakout performance against the Jets, in which he caught nine of his ten targets for 119 yards and a touchdown, Pitts now has 308 yards receiving through five weeks. That puts him on pace to catch for 1,047 yards on the season, which is just short of the rookie tight end receiving record, set by Mike Ditka back in 1961 when he caught for 1,076 yards.
Of course, Pitts needs to pick up the pace just a tad. However, things will only get easier as he adjusts to the NFL over the course of the season. Not only will he improve as a player, but just as he is getting acclimated to a new challenge, Arthur Smith is learning how to properly use the fourth overall pick. These two will only continue to build chemistry as the season wanes, and I expect Pitts to cruise by Ditka for the rookie tight end receiving record.
Thanks for reading about Kyle Pitts’ quest for the rookie tight end receiving record. If you liked this article, make sure to check out Jake Gordon’s recent piece on his favorite defensive prospects for the 2022 NFL Draft.
More must-reads: