Despite signing his franchise tag, Kyle Pitts' future with the Atlanta Falcons is far from certain. There are countless routes they could go with him: sign him to an extension, trade him, or let him walk next year for a compensatory pick.
And whatever the plan might be, we are about to find the answer when the Falcons are on the clock on Day 2 and 3. And if they deal him, there is one player everyone should have their eyes on when Atlanta is picking: Eli Stowers out of Vanderbilt.
The physically-imposing tight end would be the perfect poor-man's replacement for Pitts, and with how Kevin Stefanski loves the tight end position, he could operate as Stefanski's new Harold Fannin Jr. within this Falcons' offense. And him on a rookie deal is better value than Pitts at $15M a year.
Falcons have a perfect Kyle Pitts heir apparent lined up in Round 2 in Eli Stowers
We all know just how special of a prospect Pitts was coming out of Florida. We may never see another player with that combination of size and speed at the position ever again.
But with the Falcons' need to sign Drake London and Bijan Robinson to extensions within the next year, Pitts may be the odd man out. So, it could be time to look toward the future, and that future may come as soon as next week.
If he is on the board at pick 48, Stowers could be Cunningham's first selection as a general manager -- ironically, Pitts was Terry Fontenot's first pick. And both of them won the John Mackey Award in their final season of college. How's that for a full-circle moment?
Stowers is a 6-foot-4, 239-pound tight end with 4.51 speed. He posted a 10-yard split of 1.59 seconds, a vertical jump of 45 1/2", and a broad jump of 135". Those three measurables rank in the 96th, 99th, and 99th percentiles, respectively.
For reference, Pitts' 10-yard split, vertical, and broad ranked in the 91st, 53rd, and 97th percentiles. Obviously, Stowers' weight could be an issue at the next level. 239 pounds is not ideal, but he could possible add some weight and muscle in the NFL.
And if you are someone who values production, don't worry. As a senior last year, he caught 62 passes for 769 yards (12.4 average) and four touchdowns. He also showed off his explosiveness with a long of 67 yards.
In his final four games, he posted 30 catches for 368 yards, including a seven-reception, 146-yard, two-touchdown game against Texas and a 12-for-122 game against Auburn. His final three years in college (one at New Mexico State, two at Vanderbilt), he had 146 catches for 1,773 yards and 11 TDs.
Next Gen Stats gave him an 82 production score (1st at his position), 86 athleticism score (4th), and an 85 total score (2nd).
This is the type of prospect that fits perfectly with the Falcons; he won't be needed as a blocker with Charlie Woerner and Austin Hooper on the roster (for now), so he can focus on becoming a matchup nightmare in the passing game.
This should be Cunningham's first pick if Pitts is not in his future plans.
Add us as a preferred source on Google