By: Jake Rajala

The Atlanta Falcons selected Kyle Pitts fourth overall in the 2021 NFL Draft – which made him the highest drafted tight end of all time. Pitts didn’t win Offensive Rookie of The Year a season ago, but he did impressively haul in 1,026 receiving yards. PFF also nicely gave Pitts a potent 80.3 grade for his 2021 performance.

So, the trendy question is for the Falcons sophomore TE: will 2022 be Pitts’s world? Well, I’m not quite convinced that he will mop the floor against opponents and be dubbed as the next Gronk in 2022.

He is surrounded by a rookie WR named Drake London (who should get the green light in Week 1) who has been nothing short of a stud this summer. He is undoubtedly a massive improvement from Russell Gage, who was the Falcons leading wideout in 2021. Besides the former USC god inflicting pain on opponents, ATL will rely on the ole-familar Cordarrelle Patterson to be a nightmare, after he ousted 548 receiving yards and five touchdowns last season.

Most importantly, the Falcons took a step down in the passing talent column this off-season, by switching from Matty Ice to Marcus Mariota. Since 2010, Ryan hasn’t thrown under 3,900+ passing yards. Meanwhile, the former Oregon Duck and current Falcons QB1 averaged 3,001 passing yards between 2015 and 2018. It won’t be easy for Mariota to blow the doors off opposing defenses with his arm, to say the least.

Pitts’s opponents are also more glamorous than last season. For example, the Saints inked the Honey Badger (Tyrann Mathieu) and he’s been nothing short of a versatile freak and a shut-down defensive back. He was a key reason why Kittle only caught 4 passes for 36 yards in Super Bowl LIV.

Pitts is gifted and he’s really improved his craft this off-season, but he can’t demolish opponents by himself. Will he have 700+ receiving yards and 4+ touchdowns? Probably. Yet, I don’t foresee him having 1,200+ yards and 8+ touchdowns. I could visualize him having a 2022 season that is similar to his 2021 campaign, so he may haul in 850 yards and 5 TDs. With that enunciated, I believe Pitts is a tad overrated entering the 2022 season.

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By: Jake Rajala

The secret is out: Tyrann Mathieu, also known as the honey badger, will test the free-agent market. The legendary LSU defender and Super Bowl LVI champion could exit the Chiefs this offseason. The Honey Badger has been phenomenal throughout his career. Here is a look at how magical he’s been in his imposing NFL tenure:

• Three-time Pro Bowler
• Three-time All-Pro
• 26 career interceptions
• 10 career sacks
• 41 career tackles for loss

It’s clear that the Honey Badger is a versatile, fearless defender and he won’t be easy to replace if he leaves. Nonetheless, the Chiefs will always have a “next man up” mentality. So, if the Chiefs potentially look to add a quality safety to in free agency to fill in the shoes of Mathieu, who could they sign? Well, here are a few great options.

Marcus Williams

The cap-trapped Saints need to sign Jameis Winston and they may potentially bring back Terron Armstead (free agent). It will be hard for the Saints to outbid other teams for Williams, particularly teams that boast more cap space and success. Williams was second team All-Pro by Pro Football Focus and I believe he is just entering the prime of his career.

Williams may not only be a good replacement for the Honey Badger, but he is significantly younger than Matheiu. Williams is four years younger than Matheiu, which is perfect for the dangerous, somewhat young Chiefs team.

Devin McCourty

Devin McCourty might seem insanely old at this point in his career, but he’s still a ball-hawk at 34 years old. He notched four interceptions in 2021 and three picks in 2020.

He will likely want to play for a contender to finish his career and there might not be a better option than the Chiefs. We witnessed Eric Weddle find gold with the LA Rams and now it might be time for McCourty to win another ring with Patrick Mahomes.

Justin Reid

The Texans safety Justin Reid might be one of the biggest diamond in the roughs in the entire free agency pool. Reid has tremendous athletic ability and he’s 25 years old, but he’s entering free agency at a rough point in his career. He had flashes last season, but he also alstruggled at times in 2021 in open space and against the deep pass. He was also healthy scratch for the game against the Jets after getting in an argument with a coach.

He still was productive in the first two season in the league (5 combined ints and 160+ combined tackles) and he will look to turn his career around with a stronger culture and scheme. It may be wise for Andy Reid to ink Reid on a one-year prove-it deal.

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