Appearing in 306 plays, including 206 passing plays, Pitta has been allowed to concentrate on the receiving aspect of playing tight end. Meanwhile, Dickson has caught only eight passes for 74 yards while primarily being utilized as a blocker.
"Dennis is a great receiver," Dickson said. "He does a lot of things well, and he's got great hands. We have a lot of confidence in him. Dennis is one of my best friends, and he's a big asset to us. I know my time will come in the passing game as well."
Pitta has often lined up as a wide receiver, split out wide or in the slot.
With his size, speed, and knack for finding a seam in a zone, Pitta exploits mismatches against safeties and linebackers.
More than anything, Pitta's ability to cleanly catch the football with only his hands and not cradle it against his body has set him apart.
It's a fundamental attribute Pitta developed as a youngster playing catch with his father, Dennis Pitta Sr., a former Cal middle linebacker.
"I would always throw the ball around with my dad growing up," Pitta said. "I put all the work in and caught all those balls over the years. My time at BYU helped me a lot. The system there felt tailor-made to my abilities.
"I got to stand up flexed out and run a lot of routes and catch a lot of footballs. It got me ready for the NFL and what I'm doing here."
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