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Great thread @goonies , thanks for posting it!
Ultimately, I'd trade down if I wanted Pitts, but he is one of the few guys in this draft that may well be worthy of the #3 overall pick. While we have Gesicki as a mismatch TE, Pitts is even more of a pure wide receiver than Gesicki is. They are both glorified slot receivers at this point though. Having Gesicki and Shaheen means we will probably not draft Pitts, but let's just consider why he legitimately should be a serious consideration for the Dolphins.
Pitts is a size/speed mismatch, faster than LB's, stronger than DB's, and probably longer than both. While he may not be a master at creating separation vs. DB's, he is a mismatch, so there is almost always a safe-target zone to throw to him, and usually it's fairly big by NFL standards. He has strong arms and hands so he can catch the ball. He's a hands catcher. His length and physicality shields the ball and allow for a perfect throw on every play and margin for error on most plays. He's too strong to get jammed at the LOS, so he eats press coverage for lunch--whiich is most QB's biggest question about their WR's. He's fairly durable and fast, so he will be a threat that is on the field almost all the time. He's got the size/speed to stretch the field. He wins his 1v1's. He's got some decent RAC ability, and can sometimes break tackles.
At the end of the day the questions are always:
1) Does he beat the press? Yes, because he's strong
2) Does he get open? Yes, because he is a a great blend of long and fast.
3) Does he catch and hold onto the ball? Yes because he has good hands and strong hands/arms.
4) Does he run good routes? No complaints.
5) Does he block? Yes, big strong guy mobile and willing enough to block.
6) Does he protect his QB? (when it is a potential INT, does the WR prevent the INT?) Yes, usually tries.
7) Does he listen and learn? Yes, he seems to be on the program at UF and developed to the point where he seems to listen to coaching.
A 6'5 kid who can run, is strong, and answers those 7 questions positively ... is gonna be a heck of a football player. I'm reminded of last year's fascination with Charles Claypool, who ultimately went in the 2nd round to the Steelers. Now, Pittsburgh is famous for its receiver factory, so we all knew they'd get the best out of him, but WOW. Claypool proved he definitely deserved being a 1st round pick. All his questions melted away as he dominated during his rookie season and the Steelers never missed a beat. Every scout rates Pitts higher than Claypool, with similar high-end potential. Yes, every team not drafting a QB should be considering Kyle Pitts, because he's going to be special no matter where he is drafted.
Ultimately, I'd trade down if I wanted Pitts, but he is one of the few guys in this draft that may well be worthy of the #3 overall pick. While we have Gesicki as a mismatch TE, Pitts is even more of a pure wide receiver than Gesicki is. They are both glorified slot receivers at this point though. Having Gesicki and Shaheen means we will probably not draft Pitts, but let's just consider why he legitimately should be a serious consideration for the Dolphins.
Pitts is a size/speed mismatch, faster than LB's, stronger than DB's, and probably longer than both. While he may not be a master at creating separation vs. DB's, he is a mismatch, so there is almost always a safe-target zone to throw to him, and usually it's fairly big by NFL standards. He has strong arms and hands so he can catch the ball. He's a hands catcher. His length and physicality shields the ball and allow for a perfect throw on every play and margin for error on most plays. He's too strong to get jammed at the LOS, so he eats press coverage for lunch--whiich is most QB's biggest question about their WR's. He's fairly durable and fast, so he will be a threat that is on the field almost all the time. He's got the size/speed to stretch the field. He wins his 1v1's. He's got some decent RAC ability, and can sometimes break tackles.
At the end of the day the questions are always:
1) Does he beat the press? Yes, because he's strong
2) Does he get open? Yes, because he is a a great blend of long and fast.
3) Does he catch and hold onto the ball? Yes because he has good hands and strong hands/arms.
4) Does he run good routes? No complaints.
5) Does he block? Yes, big strong guy mobile and willing enough to block.
6) Does he protect his QB? (when it is a potential INT, does the WR prevent the INT?) Yes, usually tries.
7) Does he listen and learn? Yes, he seems to be on the program at UF and developed to the point where he seems to listen to coaching.
A 6'5 kid who can run, is strong, and answers those 7 questions positively ... is gonna be a heck of a football player. I'm reminded of last year's fascination with Charles Claypool, who ultimately went in the 2nd round to the Steelers. Now, Pittsburgh is famous for its receiver factory, so we all knew they'd get the best out of him, but WOW. Claypool proved he definitely deserved being a 1st round pick. All his questions melted away as he dominated during his rookie season and the Steelers never missed a beat. Every scout rates Pitts higher than Claypool, with similar high-end potential. Yes, every team not drafting a QB should be considering Kyle Pitts, because he's going to be special no matter where he is drafted.
who would you like the phins to pick at # 3.
