Todd McShay’s Latest Mock Draft has Eagles Taking Kyle Pitts
Mock draft season is here, and one of the mock drafts that many fans of the NFL draft get excited for is ESPN's Todd McShay.
After submitting his first two mock drafts. McShay is back at it with his NFL mock draft 3.0.
The last time he put out his mock draft post-Super Bowl, McShay had the Eagles taking LSU wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase and his first post-season mock draft had the Eagles taking Penn State linebacker Micah Parsons.
Taking a look this time at the Philadelphia Eagles at No. 6, the draft analyst changes course, with the team opting for offense again, but a different player. This time around he has the Eagles taking University of Florida tight end Kyle Pitts.
Despite the Eagles' glaring weakness at wide receiver, I'm mixing it up with Pitts at No. 6. It'd be the 10th time a tight end has been drafted before the first wide receiver off the board, and only four other tight ends have ever been taken in the top six. But here's the thing: Pitts is more than just a tight end. He's a matchup nightmare who can line up all over the place, and his great speed, hands and 6-foot-6 size make him extremely difficult to contain. Philadelphia should add receiver help in free agency, but a Pitts-Dallas Goedert pairing is a dream for any offensive coordinator.
Pitts has been a hot topic of conversation, recently showing up in multiple mock drafts with the Eagles.
The 6-foot-6, 250-pound tight end had a monster 2020 season with 43 receptions for 770 yards and 12 touchdowns in just eight games. The big number to look at is his 17 yards per catch, showing he is more than just a tight end, and is a big play threat.
The pick is all that more important if Zach Ertz is no longer here, which is likely. It would pair Pitts and Dallas Goedert up, making the Eagles a matchup nightmare for teams.
It would also give the likely starting quarterback, Jalen Hurts, a very dependable weapon in the passing game with two very athletic tight ends, similar to what the Patriots did with Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez.
With Zach Ertz expected to be traded or released, Pitts would immediately assume a co-starter role alongside Goedert. The Eagles used two-tight end sets a league-high 35% of the time last season -- a number that would skyrocket toward their 2019 totals (52%) with Pitts in the fold.
As ESPN Eagles reporter Tim McManus mentions above, the Eagles used a two-tight end set a league-high 35% of the time last year, adding Pitts would probably have them increase that number.
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