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Hayden Hurst 2021 Outlook: It's the Kyle Pitts Show Now
3 years agoHayden Hurst is a former first-round pick of the Baltimore Ravens, who traded him to the Atlanta Falcons last offseason. The Falcons made the move in hopes of replacing Austin Hooper, who racked up 121 receptions for over 1,200 yards and 10 touchdowns his last two seasons in Atlanta before signing with the Cleveland Browns as a free agent. In his first year with the Falcons, Hurst could not live up to the hype and only finished with more than 15 PPR fantasy points three times and hit five receptions or more only five times. The fact that he finished as the TE9 goes to show the dearth of tight end production after the top-tier players. Unimpressed by Hurst's first year, the Falcons recognized that they needed a receiving threat from the tight end position and drafted Kyle Pitts fourth overall, the highest a tight end has ever been drafted. This move all but solidifies the irrelevance of Hurst as a fantasy contributor. Hurst will still catch over 30 passes in a reserve role, but he will mainly operate as a blocker in the run game and he will simply be a bystander to the glory that Pitts will bring to Atlanta. He should not be drafted by any team in any format, but would likely be worth a look if something were to happen to Pitts.
