The Steelers are facing some long-term issues at tight end, so adding Freiermuth early could set this team up for success down the road.
While the Steelers will roll with Eric Ebron as their starter next season, there are questions behind him as well as what the team will do long term at the position. Unfortunately, this draft class is top-heavy at tight end, and there aren’t many strong contenders past the top two options. Pat Freiermuth is the only realistic option if the Steelers want to secure a starting tight end in this draft class.
Here is a breakdown and draft profile for Freiermuth.
Metrics
6’5, 251 lbs
2020 stats: 23 receptions, 310 yards, 1 score
Tape studied: Nebraska, Ohio St. (2019), Michigan (2019)
Freiermuth didn’t shock too many people at his pro day. His size was slightly below what he was listed at while playing at Penn St. but it shouldn’t be a major talking point. An inch shorter and ten pounds lighter isn’t much of a concern. Due to a nagging injury, Freiermuth didn’t participate in any physical testing, but he did run routes and catch passes. Honestly, based on his tape, not running some of the speed drills will probably benefit him.
His 2020 season failed to match what he had done in previous years. Much of that was due to health though, as he only ended up playing in four out of nine games this year. That considered, his stats were well in line with what he normally put up. That said, his scoring opportunities dipped, which is another slight ding on his 2020 play. This shouldn’t prevent the Steelers from targeting Freiermuth though.
Freiermuth’s Pros
For Steelers fans that have been missing Heath Miller since his retirement, Freiermuth will look like a breath of fresh air. In a position that has almost completely turned into a glorified receiver at the college level, Freiermuth isn’t afraid to throw his weight around as a blocker. It is honestly one of his best traits on tape, as he is willing to do the dirty work. Specifically, in his game against Nebraska, Freiermuth was constantly seen pushing his defender back and opening running holes.
Blocking doesn’t get you drafted early though, and Freiermuth has plenty of positive traits as a receiver as well. He is physical at the point of attack and isn’t afraid to make the tough catch. He uses his size as a weapon when catching passes, and it helps him make up for his lacking athleticism overall. He can go over the middle and snag a difficult pass with ease. This should make him a good short-yardage and red zone threat early in his career.
Out of the three games I watched, I only noticed one pass against Nebraska that looked like he dropped. For three games and plenty of targets, I could live with that, especially after the hands that Ebron had last year. He seems to catch the ball naturally and even when the passes are a little off the mark. He doesn’t seem like a player that will have questionable hands as a pro.
Freiermuth’s Cons
While there is a lot to like about his game, Freiermuth’s pure athleticism isn’t great. Kyle Pitts is the pinnacle of receiving threats and it shows on tape with sharp routes and speed. Freiermuth is lacking both. His long speed was an issue in Nebraska where he blew past coverage and was wide open deep. The pass was a little short, but he had plenty of space to run the ball and was ultimately tracked down before finding the end zone.
He isn’t a putrid athlete by any means, but he isn’t the natural speed threat like a Pitts or a Noah Fant from a few years before. Even more concerning is his route running. Specifically, in his game against Michigan, Freiermuth seemed to round off some routes and get lazy in some cuts. Granted he wasn’t seeing the targets he normally did, but his routes were far from impressive. Since he won’t win with speed at the next level, he will need to sharpen his routes to maximize his game.
Finally, and this isn’t necessarily a con, but I think Freiermuth’s quarterback play hindered him. There were quite a few passes underthrown or off the mark that limited the production that Freiermuth could have had. For Example the long catch against Nebraska, that pass was underthrown. Had Freiermuth caught that in stride, he would have likely scored. This isn’t a direct negative towards him, but it is worth noting.
Freiermuth’s Projection
There was a good reason that the Steelers had quite a few personal on hand for the Penn St. pro day, and Freiermuth was one of them. For those fans longing for the days of Miller, Freiermuth is a more modern take. No, he isn’t Matt Speath when blocking, but he does enough for it to be a positive in his game.
As a receiver, Freiermuth uses his physicality and good hands to make his mark. Early on he should be a solid check down option and red zone threat as he develops his overall game. Long term, he needs to work on his route running to be a more consistent threat in the passing game. His athleticism is what it is, so maximizing the routes you are running will be a must for him.
While he has been called “Baby Gronk” by fans, I don’t see him getting close to that type of a threat in the passing game. Instead, I think he compares more favorably to T.J. Hockenson. A big physical tight end that needs some work in the passing game but can be used to block early on. That said, Hockenson was the better receiver and athlete coming out of college, so I don’t expect Freiermuth to be going nearly as high as Hockenson did.
At the end of the day, Freiermuth is a player the Steelers need to be targeting. If he was a little more dynamic in the passing game, he would be a slam-dunk first-round pick, but that isn’t the case. I could see him going off the board towards the end of the first round or, more likely, atop the second round. The Steelers could do well to trade back and target him or trade up in the second for him. He isn’t quite enough to worthy of pick 24, but I don’t see him lasting until pick 55.