When the Atlanta Falcons picked fourth in the 2021 NFL Draft, opinions were split. Some fans wanted to see the team draft a quarterback like Justin Fields, some hoped for an elite skill position player like Kyle Pitts or Ja'Marr Chase, and others desired a defensive difference-maker like Patrick Surtain II or Micah Parsons.
Obviously, the Dirty Birds ended up selecting Pitts, but it's been a tumultuous five seasons in Atlanta. However, the former Florida standout has turned a corner due to his rapport with Michael Penix Jr., which saw him catch a team-high seven passes for 62 yards in the Falcons' Week 7 loss.
While Atlanta's two-game win streak was snapped in a 20-10 loss to the 49ers, Pitts impressed. The 25-year-old's future with the team was previously in doubt, but now he's making it progressively difficult for Terry Fontenot to let him walk in free agency this offseason.
Missing out on franchise-altering talents like Chase and Parsons stings, but fans know the alternative could be far worse.
Kyle Pitts selection resulted in Falcons avoiding Justin Fields disaster
When Fontenot turned in his first draft card as GM back in 2021, too many people were outraged at the failure to select Fields. However, that has probably been for the best, as three destinations later, the former Ohio State star hasn't translated to the NFL in the way many expected.
His arm strength has fallen flat, his ability to read a defense is nonexistent, and it's hardly looking like Fields is a viable starter in this league. In the New York Jets' 13-6 loss to the Carolina Panthers, the former Bears first-rounder was held below 50 passing yards for the third time this season before being benched for Tyrod Taylor.
After the loss, Aaron Glenn was non-committal on who would be Gang Green's QB1 in Week 8, but all signs suggest a change is looming. The team is expected to be picking atop the 2026 NFL Draft where top prospects like Fernando Mendoza and Dante Moore have caught fans' eyes.
It's clear that Jets' OC Tanner Engstrand doesn't trust the 26-year-old, and New York's 0-7 start is only further proof of that. The Jets rank near the top of the league in rush attempts, and even when Fields does air it out, it never ends well.
Pitts still amassed 1,000 receiving yards as a rookie and is on pace for his best season since, so he hasn't been too much of a bust compared to Zach Wilson and Trey Lance—two of the three players selected before him.
The catalyst behind his early struggles was a mix of injury concerns, QB turnover, and the ineptitude of Arthur Smith, but Penix remains entrenched as the face of the franchise in Atlanta. He is surrounded by a myriad of elite talent, and Pitts is finally rewriting the narrative.