Falcons: Jerry Jones’ “infatuation” with Kyle Pitts opens door for Terry Fontenot

According to Chris Mortensen of ESPN, via Clint Buckley of 247 Sports, Cowboys’ owner and general manager Jerry Jones is infatuated with Kyle Pitts, “We’re hearing this thing about Jerry Jones, the owner of the Cowboys and the GM, being infatuated with Kyle Pitts. So I figure he’s gonna have to trade up to get Kyle Pitts. I think he’ll offer Emmitt Smith and Larry Allen, maybe throw in Michael Irvin. He doesn’t need Tony Romo but he has Dak Prescott, he spent $40 million a year on Dak Prescott so why not go get Kyle Pitts, or if he actually falls to 10 you couldn’t rule him out.”

Since Pitts is one of the best prospects in this draft, regardless of position, Jones will likely have to trade up from the tenth pick to acquire the playmaking tight end out of Florida. With Dallas finishing 23rd in the league in yards allowed and 28th in points allowed, most analysts project the Cowboys to address the defense. Many mock drafts predict Patrick Surtain II to fall to ten, allowing Dallas to add an impact defender after missing the playoffs at 6-10.

In eight games last season, Pitts caught 43 passes for 770 yards and 12 touchdowns in one of the best offenses in the country. It doesn’t make much sense for the Cowboys to take the former Gator with the likes of Amari Cooper, Ceedee Lamb, Michael Gallup, and Ezekial Elliott surrounding Dak Prescott. But, a similar situation occurred last year for the Cowboys where Lamb fell to Dallas with the 17th pick.

Trading up from ten would cost considerable draft capital, which makes it even more unbelievable, but there is a reason everyone is raving about the tight end out of Gainesville. Todd McShay of ESPN picked Pitts as the one player from this draft class that would most likely be enshrined in Canton’s Pro Football Hall of Fame.

“Give me Kyle Pitts,” McShay said. “You don’t see many 6-foot-5, 245 pounders that run in the (4.4-second range in the 40-yard dash. He can separate. He can get off of the press. You can play him (inside on the line of scrimmage)… You can flex him out in the slot. You can put him out wide, and he’s going to create a mismatch. And you can’t cover this guy one on one. You’ve got to bracket him. You got to have a safety over the top. And even when you do, his ability at 245 pounds, and he’ll only get bigger and stronger, but his ability to get in and out of breaks it’s like watching a Ja’Marr Chase or DeVonta Smith… He’s a wide receiver in a bigger body. So now, you got a guy who can separate, he can get off the press and then you’ve got the guy who can shield you as a big-bodied guy who can go up and get the ball on contested catches… And I think he’s going to be one of the premier players in the NFL. And I think when it’s all said and done, he’s got a chance to be a Hall of Famer.”

Everyone knows the freakish numbers Pitts put up at his pro day last week, measuring 6’6″ and 245-pounds; his 83-inch wingspan is longer than any other wide receiver or tight end that has been measured at the NFL combine in the last 20 years. He ran his 40-yard dash in a remarkable 4.44 seconds, recorded a 10’9″ broad jump and a 33.5-inch vertical leap. There is no questioning his ability to threaten defenses, but could Terry Fontenot spark a deal with Jerry Jones that launches the Cowboys into a position to draft him?

It’s a well-known fact that the eccentric oil tycoon will overpay for anyone or anything he falls in love with. If Jones truly does have his eyes set on Pitts, Fontenot has the opportunity to fleece Dallas. Jerry does what Jerry wants, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he and Fontenot have already spoken on the possibility of a pre-draft trade. It would be a prime opportunity for the Falcons to grab someone like Rashawn Slater or Patrick Surtain II while acquiring future capital.