Mel Kiper Jr. has one of the more respected mock drafts every year, and so far, he has the New York Giants taking tight end Kyle Pitts. The Giants already have one starting tight end who is considered to have big potential as a receiving target, of course. But Evan Engram hasn’t done everything the Giants have wanted since drafting him, and some think the team will take a chance on bringing in another tight end in the draft.
Pitts has a similar scouting report to Engram when he came out of college. Both players are at the tight end position but are expected to make an impact in the receiving game for their teams and are considered to have the skills to play out wide as a receiver.
What does Pitts bring to the table?
Here’s what Kiper had to say about the fit with the Giants, who he has taking Pitts at eleven overall.
At 6-foot-6, Pitts has the size/speed traits to line up out wide, in the slot or next to an offensive tackle. And he showed off his ability after the catch by averaging 17.9 yards per reception with 12 touchdowns. Pitts is not a traditional tight end, but he’s a skilled offensive threat. And with Evan Engram on the roster, too, the Giants would have two of the most athletic — and versatile — tight ends in football.
While it’s true the Giants would have multiple weapons at tight end if they kept Engram, it does seem like a strange pick. After all, there’s needs on the defense and even on offense, such as wide receiver. Having another tight end would help, but ultimately it’s hard to imagine the Giants would take a tight end over a possible number one receiver.
After all, even if Engram has too many drops, he fills the position with an above replacement level of play.
Still, the Giants not exactly needing another tight end hasn’t stopped Pitts from being mocked to them by multiple sources. And that likely won’t stop unless the Giants give some indication that they’re looking to another position – an unlikely pre-draft outcome.