Franchise tagging free agent tight end Kyle Pitts always made the most sense for the Atlanta Falcons. The Pro Bowler isn't someone you can just let walk out the door for a future comp pick, even if extending him will be just as expensive, but Pitts reporting to voluntary OTAs is a promising update.
And tagging Pitts is exactly what Ian Cunningham did, essentially putting him on a one-year deal for 2026. However, he is far from locking down a position on the 53-man roster for 2026 because the team could be looking to field offers, and potentially deal him should another team blow them away.
Whether it's before the NFL Draft or after, the team would need to replace the talented starter. They don't have an option currently on the roster, which means drafting his replacement -- if they don't want to pay David Njoku big money, which is a scenario Bleacher Report's Alex Ballentine floated.
Bleacher Report believes the Atlanta Falcons could replace Kyle Pitts in the draft
If the Falcons don't trade Pitts in the coming weeks, seeing them draft a tight end with one of their few picks would shock everyone.
Currently, Pitts is the starter with Austin Hooper acting as his receiving backup and Charlie Woerner as the designated blocker. Hooper, for as great as he has been, isn't Pitts at this point in his career. Not to mention, Kevin Stefanski doesn't run a one-TE system; he loves to deploy multiple threats.
Thus, it makes a lot of sense that the Dirty Birds would target a tight end at the end of April. Ballentine named three prospects as potential targets: Stanford's Sam Roush, Georgia's Oscar Delp, and Cincinnati's Joe Royer.
Obviously, we all know who most Falcons fans would love prefer, but none of those guys match Pitts' athleticism. That said, you can't beat the price of a mid-round rookie contract. Pitts is due for a new contract either this offseason or next, and it won't be cheap.
Trading him would keep you from having to pay him, while also recouping a pick or two. Is that worth losing a potential All-Pro talent? That is for Matt Ryan and Cunningham to decide.
However, when you look at Cunningham's history, the scale sways to the side of trading him. He loves draft picks and has made it clear that having five picks in a draft is unacceptable. This is a great way to fix that.
You also have to prepare to pay Drake London and Bijan Robinson, who will demand top-of-the-market deals, much like Pitts. Out of that trio, Pitts would be the first one to go. All this to say, don't be surprised if Atlanta targets a tight end on Day 2 or early Day 3, even if Pitts is still on the roster.