NFL player comparisons for Pittsburgh Steelers TE Pat Freiermuth

Low-end NFL comparison: Maxx Williams

Being a second-round pick hardly assures that Pat Freiermuth is going to be a great player in the NFL, and Maxx Williams is a perfect example. Williams was thought of as the best tight-end prospect in the 2015 NFL Draft. The former Minnesota prospect had two very productive years in college before being drafted by the Baltimore Ravens with the 55th overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft.

Despite high expectations, Williams fell short of becoming the do-it-all tight end the Ravens were hoping for when they drafted him. Injuries played a factor in this, as Williams missed a lot of time in his first two seasons. However, even when he was mostly healthy in 2017 and 2018, the former second-round pick was rarely involved in the offense and was used much more as just a blocker.

After his rookie contract, Williams found a home with the Arizona Cardinals. Despite grading out quite well over the past three seasons, Williams just hasn’t been able to make leave his mark on an NFL offense, and his pedestrian athletic traits make him a well-rounded, but very unspectacular tight end.

We hope to see much better results from Pat Freiermuth in his career with the Steelers, but it’s important to consider that Williams was also a highly-touted former second-round pick with similar size and athletic traits. If things don’t go according to plan, Freiermuth’s floor could be Max Williams in the NFL.