5 Steelers that will be starters by this time next season

Steelers Pat Freiermuth

The Steelers had both short- and long-term questions surrounding the tight end position in the draft, so they were lucky to land a talent like Pat Freiermuth in the second round. While some have expectations that are sky high for him, the fact of the matter is that rookie tight ends have one of the toughest transitions to the NFL. Even some of the top tight ends in the league suffered through mediocre rookie seasons as they learned how to play at a pro level.

So anyone expecting Freiermuth to leap in front of Eric Ebron this season will be disappointed. That said, with Ebron likely off the team next year, Freiermuth can be penciled in as the starter. Even if the team targets a tight early in the draft, they will need the same transitional year that Freiermuth will have this season.

Don’t be surprised if Freiermuth has a quiet rookie season. That doesn’t mean that he won’t be a capable starter though, and a year from now he should be ready to assume that role. Unless Ebron goes down to injury, Freiermuth will only see limited snaps as the backup tight end. That said, next year should be the year fans expect to see his production with the Steelers jump.