Atlanta Falcons shouldn’t expect Kyle Pitts to replace Julio this season

The Atlanta Falcons will be without Julio Jones for the first time in a decade and expectations for rookie Kyle Pitts are skyrocketing.

What should the Atlanta Falcons actually expect from the rookie out of Florida?

The Atlanta Falcons are not going to replace a generational receiver in Julio Jones with anyone and that includes Calvin Ridley or the very exciting rookie Kyle Pitts. The Falcons and their fans know this, however, it is still fair to be excited for an offense built around Kyle Pitts and Calvin Ridley.

Together both players will be more than enough to help keep the Atlanta passing game humming. Add in the fact Matt Ryan is able to find chemistry with seemingly any receiver and this offense is going to score a lot of points.

Atlanta Falcons and Matt Ryan have been successful with far less

Whether it is utilizing an undersized Nick Williams or turning Mohamed Sanu into a surprise impact player Matt Ryan elevates the receivers around him and finds a way to score.

If there is one thing Ryan does better than elevate his receivers it is his tight ends. Whether it is Austin Hooper or Jacob Tamme Ryan elevates careers and loves throwing to the position and now has the ultimate weapon in Kyle Pitts.

Pitts is a star in the making who is going to make plenty of big catches this season. He is one of the best “can’t miss” prospects of the last decade. However, expecting a rookie to replace a generational talent overnight isn’t realistic.

While he is more than capable of putting up numbers similar to Jones it will be important to remember there is a big learning curve for Pitts who was a receiver/tight end hybrid during his time at Florida.

Expect Pitts to struggle a bit early before finding his footing and finishing the season with 700-receiving yards and 10-touchdowns.   It is important to consider Atlanta’s number one target is going to be Calvin Ridley with Russell Gage and Hayden Hurst expecting touches as well.

Pitts is a very talented young player who will not be able to replace Julio this season. But with Ridley, Gage, Hurst, and Pitts healthy this team will be just as productive and score more consistently with a new red zone threat in Pitts this season.