MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – When Atlanta acquired Kirk Cousins this offseason, the national conversation naturally evolved into what the four-time Pro Bowl quarterback could coax out of a talented young group of skill players.
Perhaps no player stands to benefit more from Cousins' presence than Kyle Pitts. The 2024 season will be an important one for the gifted tight end, and his effort so far in camp only underscores that point. While Pitts is working hard to have a highly productive year, Cousins is finding his own ways to push him.
That added motivation centers around the two qualities that make Pitts one of the most unique tight ends in the league – speed and length.
"What I'm encouraging him with is to use that length as much as he can," Cousins said after Atlanta's final joint practice in Miami. "Anytime he lets the ball into his body, I tell him, 'That wasn't good enough. You should never let it come into your body. You're too good to let it come into your body.'"
The 6-foot-6, 246-pound tight end has length that is uncommon in NFL history. According to MockDraftable, a database that compares NFL Combine and Pro Day measurements from 1999 through the present day, Pitts' wingspan of 83⅜ inches ranks in the 98th percentile of players at his position.
Cousins wants him to use every quarter-inch of that length.
Thus far in camp, Pitts has looked comfortable plucking the ball out of the air. Not every play is perfect, of course, but this time of year is as much about reinforcing a mindset as it is applying that thinking while on the field. If Pitts continues to attack the ball with his full reach, there are few defenders in the league capable of out-stretching him.
While Pitts' length provides an advantage at the catch point, his speed is what truly makes him a difficult match for NFL defenses.
Pitts ran the 40-yard dash in 4.44 seconds at the Florida Gators Pro Day in 2021, which also ranks in the 98th percentile for tight ends, per MockDraftable. Unlike attacking the football while it's in the air, which is more of a technical skill, the speed a player possesses is mostly innate.
"And then I challenge him (if) I don't feel like he's running as fast as he possibly can," Cousins said. "I say, 'That wasn't good enough. It was fast enough for a lot of tight ends but, for you, it's got to be faster.'"
The career Cousins has manifested gives weight to those statements. He has worked with some of the best receivers of the last two decades, helping them accomplish great things while undoubtedly taking lessons away from each player as well.
Entering his 13th season, Cousins appears comfortable in the leadership role he has occupied for much of his time in the NFL. It's clear he's very good at it. He's also motivated in his own way to return to the exceptional level of play he sustained through the first seven weeks of the 2023 season. But while he's working his way back, he's helping the Falcons' offense move forward.
In Pitts, Cousins has a weapon that quarterbacks dream of. But dreams aren't going to get Atlanta where it wants to go. That will take hard work and a couple of challenges along the way.
"I always say, 'Did you run as fast as you possibly can and did you snag it with your hands aggressive?'" Cousins said. "Those are the two things I challenge him on. I said, 'If you do that, the production can't help but happen.'"
