Tight finish is a simple place, no less than when it comes to summer time coaching camp battles. The Atlanta Falcons have two starters they deploy very often and can probably preserve a 3rd tight finish, deciding on from 4 gamers vying for that honor. As battles go, it’s set to be lower than compelling.
However zooming out from the summer time reveals extra intrigue. Kyle Pitts is right here on his fifth-year possibility, and has one closing likelihood to succeed in his sky-high potential earlier than the Falcons are tempted to maneuver on. Charlie Woerner gives such sturdy blocking that the workforce could be tempted to tear up the ultimate yr of his deal in 2026 and lengthen him, assuming he builds on a productive first season. And that third spot takes on extra import when you consider the potential of Pitts being gone and a younger developmental possibility hanging round and searching for an opportunity to make an actual affect previous this season.
Let’s take a more in-depth look.
Starters
Kyle Pitts, Charlie Woerner
It’s all expectations with Pitts. In his three full seasons, he’s been third, eleventh, and thirteenth in receiving yards on the tight finish place, making his manufacturing above common in each wholesome yr. However he was drafted fourth total, has been carefully scrutinized since, and located wanting for his go catching, route operating, effort, and so forth by followers and analysts alike. There’s a really actual sense that there’s a lot extra right here that Pitts has not been capable of present, and that’s fueling comprehensible hypothesis right here and elsewhere that his time in Atlanta could also be up quickly.
In 2025, Pitts has a big-armed quarterback in Michael Penix who ought to enable him to eat on the downfield routes he prefers, and the work as a run blocker and in go safety that he has put in ought to hopefully result in no less than modest enhancements in these areas. If Penix and Pitts kind a wonderful rapport and the tight finish seems to be the form of game-changing go catcher with a brand new quarterback that the workforce envisioned again in 2021, the truth that he’s nonetheless so younger makes him an apparent candidate to signal a long-term deal. If not, and we see the up-and-down play and inconsistent affect that has outlined his profession up to now, 2025 will probably be his final yr as a Falcon.
Woerner performed lower than half of the offensive snaps, however I contemplate him a starter nonetheless. From Week 8 on, he performed over 55% of snaps in six out of 9 video games, and his work as a blocker makes him important to the trouble. If he’s being focused greater than as soon as each couple of weeks, one thing has gone awry with the bigger offense, however the capacity to pave the best way for Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier is invaluable.
Reserves and roster hopefuls
Feleipe Franks, Teagan Quitoriano, Nikola Kalinic, Josh Simon
Franks is within the midst of a really humorous profession arc, going from transformed quarterback to tight finish in Atlanta with loads of justified eye-rolling about Arthur Smith’s fervor for him regardless of a scarcity of affect and taking part in time. Then final yr he wound up being a particular groups contributor and much-improved blocker for the Panthers, which someway led to an Atlanta reunion. The particular groups work, blocking, and the little little bit of upside he nonetheless possesses as an enormous, speedy goal make him the favourite on this group to truly stick because the third tight finish. If not, count on the follow squad.
Quitoriano is your conventional block-first third possibility, although Professional Soccer Focus has hated his go blocking all through his three yr profession and been extra keen on his run blocking work. If the Falcons are leaning towards a 3rd possibility who can block and catch slightly, it’s probably between Quitoriano and Franks, with the previous needing an excellent summer time to push his well beyond Franks.
For those who’re searching for a pass-catching possibility as your third participant (or for a follow squad spot), it’ll be between Kalinic and Simon. Kalinic has proven slightly preseason promise as a go catcher however has little or no common season taking part in time to talk of, which means he’ll have to make his case with a powerful camp. The one factor actually working in his favor is that he was on the Rams concurrently Zac Robinson and Raheem Morris in 2023, so that they clearly noticed one thing they have been intrigued sufficient by to get him on board for 2025.
Simon is an undrafted free agent and thus a longshot for a roster spot, however he involves the NFL with confirmed fingers and purple zone manufacturing and a top quality closing faculty seasons, and has intriguing potential as a go catching tight finish. With no locked-in third possibility, Simon does have a slim likelihood to impress and beat out the likes of Franks, Quitoriano, and Kalinic, however I’d pencil him in to the follow squad in the present day.
