Zac Robinson: Kyle Pitts is a tight end first, will continue to develop tight end skills

Four years after the Falcons took him with the fourth overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft, Kyle Pitts has not become the player Atlanta was hoping for. But the Falcons still believe Pitts can become an elite, complete tight end — and not just a receiver who has tight end size.

Falcons offensive coordinator Zac Robinson told The Waterboyz Show that in his offense, Pitts is a tight end, and is continuing to develop a tight end-specific skill set.

"Kyle is a tight end first," Robinson said. "So first and foremost, we use Kyle as a tight end. He played with his hand in the dirt more than he had in the past last year. We want to continue to develop his tight end skills. Are there times when we split him out? One hundred percent, because we want to split him out to get him away from the core and do some of those things."

Robinson said he and Falcons tight ends coach Kevin Koger work diligently with Pitts to make him the tight end their offense needs.

"I'm expecting Kyle to take a big jump. Year Two of the system," Robinson said. "Year Two of understanding what we're trying to do offensively. All those things that come with it, so expecting a lot of good things from Kyle. He knows what he needs to work on with the details, some of the fundamentals and techniques, the consistency down in and down out, those are things we talk about with him and Coach Koger talks about with him all the time is those finer details and that next level that he can take as a player. So I'm pumped for Kyle, can't wait to get on the field with him and that's going to be a lot of fun to see his growth."

It's a big year for Pitts, who is in the fifth and final year of his rookie contract and will try to justify both the $10.878 million salary he's making this year and, he hopes, a lucrative second contract.