Former NFL general manager Charley Casserly says Florida tight end Kyle Pitts plays similarly to Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs.
All eyes are on the quarterbacks in this year’s NFL Draft class, and understandably so. But when it comes to position players, no one has more reporters, analysts and scouts gawking more than Florida tight end Kyle Pitts. While it is unheard of a tight end being drafted so high, there is talk of Pitts being the first non-quarterback taken off the board. If you thought there was not enough hype behind Pitts, former NFL general manager Charley Casserly has you covered.
On Wednesday, Casserly tweeted out a clip of himself scouting Pitts. In the caption, Casserly says Pitts is one of the best tight ends he has ever scouted, even going as far to say that he plays similarly to Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs.
Kyle Pitts receives Travis Kelce comparisons from former NFL GM Charley Casserly
Pitts has to be gleaming when hearing Casserly compare his play to Kelce, who is a top-tier tight end in the NFL currently. Of course, there will be skeptics when hearing a college player being compared to an NFL star.
When hearing the term “mismatch nightmare,” Pitts certainly fits the bill. He stands at 6-foot-5 and weighs 245-pounds, and despite being a tight end, he plays like a wide receiver.
In his sophomore season, Pitts caught 54 passes for 649 yards and five touchdowns in 13 games played. This past campaign, the tight end recorded 43 receptions for 770 yards and 12 touchdowns in just eight games.
Pitts’ stock increased only increased following Florida’s Pro Day in late-March, where he logged a 4.44-second 40-yard dash time. As a result of that speed, Pitts could be taken as early as the fourth-overall selection by the Atlanta Falcons. That is his ceiling, considering the Jacksonville Jaguars, New York Jets and San Francisco 49ers are all universally expected to draft a quarterback. Of course, that will be dependent on the Falcons not taking a quarterback of their own or not trading out of the pick.
Whichever team drafts Pitts is going to get a player with all the tools to dominate at the pro-level. But that respective squad’s fanbase hopes that is the case and that he does not turn out to be another Evan Engram, whom had similar hype as Pitts but never lived up to it.