Bijan Robinson and Kyle Pitts are compelling choices.
The Atlanta Falcons aren’t necessarily the youngest team in the NFL, but they do have a compelling collection of young, talented players. Two in particular were recently recognized by Pro Football Focus as among the best players under 25 in the league today.
You will not be shocked to learn that those two players are Kyle Pitts and Bijan Robinson, two expected cornerstones of a much-improved 2024 Falcons offense. Both are justly recognized here for their talent, but both certainly head into this season with something to prove, nonetheless.
It seems as though Kyle Pitts has been on this list every year for good reason; he didn’t land on it his rookie season but has otherwise been an annual fixture. That has been the case despite a rookie season that saw him surpass 1,000 yards but barely score, a Marcus-Mariota-and-injury-fueled second-year letdown, and a third-season solid but unspectacular campaign featuring a lengthy recovery from injury and more poor quarterback play from Desmond Ridder and Taylor Heinicke. It’s a testament to how evidently gifted Pitts is and how much the twin specters of health concerns and bad quarterbacking have impacted his past two seasons that PFF is more than happy to place him on the bottom of this list at 25 heading into 2024.
Robinson landed at 16, meanwhile, coming off a rookie season that was impressive but still clearly featured room to grow and excel further, just like Pitts’ 2021. Robinson has growth to do as a route runner and blocker, but some of those rookie year highlights as a runner in particular were eye-popping enough to make that his upside beyond evident.
F**k it – Bijan Robinson highlights
pic.twitter.com/JEfkvjOQjI— SleeperNFL (@SleeperNFL) May 9, 2024
The Falcons find themselves in a position once again where they are counting on young stars taking a major step forward, just as they were in 2023. The difference this time is that Pitts and Robinson are a bit more seasoned and, in Pitts’ case, certainly much healthier, and there’s a brand new offensive staff and greatly upgraded quarterback situation to work with. That feels like it should translate into terrific seasons for both players, and because both will still be under 25 next year, perhaps more prominent positions on this particular PFF list.
I’ll end this with a note that I know articles have been a bit more sporadic this spring, so thank you for your patience with the staff as we’ve navigated busy times. We’ll pick things up starting this week!