Madden 22 correctly has Kyle Pitts as the highest-rated rookie

I got a lot of heat for saying that former Florida Gators tight end Kyle Pitts was the No. 1 player in the 2021 NFL Draft.

I stood by my statement, and I genuinely believe that Pitts was still the best player in the draft even though he is not a quarterback.

Clemson’s former quarterback Trevor Lawrence was the popular argument against Pitts being the top dog, but I argued that there is a “franchise quarterback in every draft, but there is never a Kyle Pitts.”

NFL executives voted that Pitts has the best chance to become a Hall of Fame player before the draft, and I agreed.

Then Pro Football Focus ranked Pitts as a top 5 tight end in the NFL before ever playing a snap, and again, I agreed. Both of those statements were little victories for me, but another one cemented that Pitts was the best player in the draft.

Kyle Pitts is the highest-rated rookie in Madden 22.

Yes, it is a video game, but I am glad that Pitts was rated higher than Lawrence. EA Sports and Madden gave me a fun little point to argue if anyone would ever question my ranking of Pitts again.

Pitts was the only rookie to receiver a rating in the 80’s, and his 81 overall rating was three rating points higher than Lawrence’s 78 overall.

Far too many times, people get caught up with the quarterbacks for the draft. Yes, they are the most important position in the draft, but Pitts was just so different.

He has a rare breed of size and athleticism for the position. New Orleans Saints defensive end Cameron Jordon was talking trash on Pitts about not actually being a tight end, but he should tread lightly because Pitts is an elite tight end.

Pitts has a chance to win Offensive Rookie of the Year as a tight end. It’s clear that even Madden understands how good he already is and how great and special he will be in the NFL.