Expectations for the New York Giants heading into the 2025 season aren’t very high, despite all the changes made to the roster. A return to the playoffs isn’t likely for a team that last made it in 2022—the first year under head coach Brian Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen.
What does that mean heading into the 2025 season? They can afford to take some chances on some players who might have fallen out of favor with other teams. This past week, the Atlanta Falcons reportedly put former first-round tight end Kyle Pitts on the trade block. Cody Benjamin of CBS Sports has listed the Giants as a potential landing spot for the 24-year-old:
“Are the Giants in a position to pay for immediate help? They may be short on salary cap space, but Pitts' appeal, at age 24, is that he could also stick around for the long term. Head coach Brian Daboll would surely be OK pairing the big man with Malik Nabers, giving Russell Wilson an added safety valve for an offense sorely lacking secondary playmakers over the last few years," Benjamin wrote.
"Assuming this link-up would extend beyond 2025, Pitts' arrival would also bode well for Jaxson Dart, the presumptive quarterback of the future.”
The Falcons drafted Kyle Pitts fourth overall in 2021 hoping he’d become one of the league’s top tight ends. While he delivered a strong rookie season with 68 catches for 1,026 yards, he hasn’t come close to matching those numbers since—which is why Atlanta is now listening to trade offers for the 24-year-old.
With expectations low for the G-Men in 2025, they can afford to take a chance on a buy-low trade target like Pitts. Yes, the team has invested in the position with Theo Johnson in the 2024 draft and Thomas Fidone in 2025. They also still have Daniel Bellinger from Schoen’s first draft class in 2022, along with Greg Dulcich on the roster. So it’s not like the Giants are short on tight ends.
But none of them have been a 1,000-yard weapon in the NFL or came into the league with the kind of hype that Pitts has. If acquired, he would immediately be the most talented tight end on the roster—and based on reports, it might only take a Day 2 pick to get him.
Sources: Multiple teams have reached out to the #Falcons about the availability of TE Kyle Pitts.
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) May 30, 2025
Nothing is imminent, and Atlanta would prefer to keep him — but I’m told it would take at least a Day 2 pick to even spark serious talks. pic.twitter.com/smNLgOcBow
The Giants have already traded away one Day 2 pick from their 2026 NFL Draft class, using their third-rounder to acquire Jaxson Dart when they moved back into the end of the first round in a trade with the Houston Texans. But depending on what kind of offers the Falcons are fielding—and what they’re actually getting for Pitts—the Giants might be able to get creative with a potential deal.
Here’s one potential trade offer the Giants could put together for the Falcons in a deal for Pitts:
The Giants can’t afford to give up another Day 2 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft and will likely need to hang onto their second and fourth-rounders. But they could offer a fourth-round pick in the 2027 draft, along with an additional pick, to meet Atlanta’s reported ask for a Day 2-level return. They also hold an extra sixth-rounder in 2026 from the trade that sent veteran defensive tackle Jordan Phillips to the Cowboys before the 2024 season. That pick could help sweeten the offer.
Even though Russell Wilson is expected to start the 2025 season, at some point, Jaxson Dart will take over as the team’s future quarterback. Adding a young weapon like Pitts to pair with Malik Nabers would be enticing for a developing QB like Dart. Granted, Pitts is entering the final year of his rookie deal and would need to prove that a change of scenery can unlock his potential. He’d also need to build chemistry with Wilson before that handoff happens.
But a trade for Pitts would likely be viewed as a long-term move, especially since he’s only 24 and still has plenty of football ahead of him. Adding a pass-catching tight end like Pitts to pair with Dart and Nabers could give the Giants’ offense more upside, especially if Pitts rediscovers the magic that once made him a first-round pick.
At worst, if the trade doesn’t pan out, the Giants could simply let him walk in free agency, similar to what they did with Isaiah Simmons, who played out the final year of his rookie deal after being acquired two seasons ago. With trades like this, you won’t really know unless you pull the trigger and see what the player can do in a new environment.
Right now, New York might appear set with their internal options at tight end, but if they’re looking to shake up the roster and take a chance on a once-promising player, Pitts is worth exploring. In an offense that has the potential to put up points in 2025 and beyond, giving Pitts a second chance could be a smart move... if they can find a way to pry him away from Atlanta.