2 Falcons players among top potential 2027 NFL free agents

"Pitts was a top-20 player on our initial top 150 in February. The Falcons franchise-tagged him before he could hit the open market. The 2021 No. 4 pick is due to make $15.045 million on the tag. Like the Jets and Hall, the Falcons and Pitts have until July to negotiate a long-term extension."

While re-signing London is a slam dunk, Pitts is a little harder to make a case for. The first four years of his NFL career Pitts' numbers were a bit underwhelming - especially for a top-five overall pick.

However, Pitts is coming off a breakout season in 2025, having totaled 88 catches, 928 yards and five touchdowns. Considering the quarterbacking he had to work with, those are pretty spectacular stats. Pitts' trajectory was rising even before last year - his touchdown total has risen each season, from one as a rookie, to two in 2022, then three, then four and five last year. Pitts also posted a career-high 74.6% catch rate, far above his career mark of 63%.

If the Falcons believe that this is just the beginning of Pitts finally living up to his status as a top-five pick then they shouldn't hesitate to re-sign him to a long-term deal. That he was rumored to be on the trade block going into the draft may be a sign that the new front office isn't 100% sold on Pitts, yet.

The best way forward here may be to let Pitts play out 2026 under the franchise tag and then re-evaluate next offseason.

This article originally appeared on Falcons Wire: Drake London, Kyle Pitts could be part of loaded free agent class