Going into the draft, we were all keeping a close eye on whether the Atlanta Falcons would draft a tight end. They did not.
There has been trade speculation about tight end Kyle Pitts, who signed his franchise tag. A trade would return a solid draft pick and strip the team of $15 million in fully guaranteed money. Not to mention, the likelihood of being able to sign him to an extension is unlikely with Drake London and Bijan Robinson extensions looming.
But now that the draft has come and gone with no new tight ends on the roster, we can confidently say that Pitts' standing on this roster is in a good place.
Kyle Pitts is one of the big winners from the Atlanta Falcons' defense-heavy 2026 NFL Draft class
Oftentimes, we talk about a player potentially being on the trade block without considering what the team would look like without said player. The Dirty Birds don't have a replacement for Pitts on their roster. Charlie Woerner is strictly a blocker, while Austin Hooper is a high-end complement.
The best avenue to finding a replacement would have been in the draft. There were so many athletic players at the position that went early and fast. The Falcons never took advantage of that, meaning they are moving forward with the most physically gifted tight end in NFL history.
There is also the fact that those teams that drafted the position will be much less interested in making a trade for Pitts. Looking to the future, Ian Cunningham will attempt to maneuver the looming contracts and extend his tight end. Whether or not he can succeed is a different story.
If not, then they may trade him at the deadline depending on where the team stands. Or, the more likely outcome, let him walk for a compensatory pick.
Outside of signing David Njoku as a replacement, the Falcons aren't going to trade their Pro Bowler now that the draft hurdle is cleared.
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