New England Patriots: Innovative suggestion for first round pick in 2021

If the New England Patriots pass on a quarterback in this month’s draft in the first round, they may very well trade down to lower in the first round or out of it entirely. That’s their history.

Yet, if they choose to pass on a quarterback high, here’s an outside-the-box sounding suggestion on a player they should consider.

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The player is one no one would suspect New England could possibly have an interest in. It’s tight end, Kyle Pitts from Florida. No doubt, it would be a totally counterintuitive yet stealthy move for New England.

Even if they have to trade up significantly to do so, take Pitts. Patriots’ fans will be shouting, screaming, “What the heck are you suggesting? That’s bonkers”.

This is especially true since owner Bob Kraft has weighed in, and mentioned the New England Patriots need a young quarterback. If they see one they really like, it’s the opinion in this space, that they should do whatever it takes to trade up to land him. No argument here.

Three firsts. OK. Two firsts and a player. Better. Whatever. There’s no more important position on the field. Period.

But, should they actually use their first-round pick on other than a quarterback, selecting Pitts (hopefully with Kraft’s approval which is strongly suggested), would be a terrific move.

Let’s explore this offbeat, whimsical and unorthodox concept.

Why taking Kyle Pitts makes sense for the Patriots, in a roundabout way.

New England would thus take a player no one would suspect they could possibly have an interest in. That’s nothing new, but this would be in a good way. Yet, taking a tight end high now seems weird.

The Patriots just signed two top tight ends in free agency but also wasted (used) two third-round picks on tight ends in 2020. They were Devin Asiasi and Dalton Keene.

Collectively the pair caught a total of five passes with one touchdown in 2020. That’s a huge lost investment in one position. Keene is already being looked at as a fullback.

Needless to say, that didn’t help weapon-less quarterback Cam Newton very much.

Yet, add Pitts potential to the NFL-proven capabilities of Hunter Henry and Jonnu Smith and you have the makings of a tight end position juggernaut. So, let’s explore how this would work. Doesn’t seem to make a lot of sense. But here’s why it may.

Pitts is a huge target. Listed at 6’6″ and 246 pounds, he may very well fill out to be Gronk-esque in size. That has a good sound to it.

In addition, Pitts caught 43 passes in 2020 with this as the key, 12 touchdowns to boot. That’s fantastic production for a position in New England that last season delivered one.

The Patriots like a tight end dominant offense. They have always thrived in a short-passing game. Tight ends are the perfect weapons in such an offense. It would also suit Newton’s game.

Then, how would you deploy three tight ends on a single play? That’s where some innovation comes in. And they have done it in the past, of course.

Here’s how tight end positions are referenced:

"Similar for the tight end spot. There’s the “Y” tight end, which is the name for the in-line tight end, and then there’s the “F” tight end, who is comparable to the Z; the F is moved around the offense from slot receiver, to fullback, to even wide receiver."

Henry is more of a traditional in-line tight end, a Y while Smith is more of a move pass-catching tight end, an F. Pitts fits in as a wild card in the formation. He can be used out of the backfield as an added blocker, at fullback, or put in motion. Nice option.

He also has the speed to be a huge hybrid tight end/wide receiver versatile pass-catcher with a plethora of possible deployments available to offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels.

Pitts is a mismatch nightmare for pretty much anyone to cover. He’s very tall and reportedly ran a 4.44 40-yard dash. That’s almost unimaginable speed at his size. It’s wide receiver level speed.

This suggestion is counterintuitive. It’s outside the box thinking, absolutely. Yet, it’s so innovative it could pay huge dividends for a New England offense that centers again on shorter passing routes, and still lacks a true No 1 receiving talent. (That’s a position they should not/cannot draft early.)

The problem with this entire strategy, however, is that Pitts is mocked high in the first round. Very high. CBS Sports has him going at #4 after the top three quarterbacks. Pro-Football Focus has him going at #6 to Miami.

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So, if all of the quarterbacks whom the Patriots would trade up for are off the board, might they “shock the world” and move way up and make a very costly trade for Pitts?

It’s certainly unlikely, but, one never knows with New England Patriots. Never.

This move would certainly be interesting. Very interesting, indeed. I’m for it if they can’t get the young arm they need early on.

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