Steelers depth chart: 3 players who could see reduced roles in 2021
By Tommy Jaggi
TE Eric Ebron
Most would have thought Vance McDonald’s retirement would have had Eric Ebron seeing an uptick in usage following the 2020 season. However, thanks to the addition of second-round pick, Pat Freiermuth, it’s entirely possible that Ebron is used less this year than he was just a season ago.
Ebron didn’t exactly impress in his first season in black and gold. Despite being just a few years removed from an impressive 2018 campaign that concluded with a Pro Bowl appearance, Ebron had 7 drops last season, graded out as one of the worst tight ends in the league via Pro Football Focus, and couldn’t block to save his life.
In steps Freiermuth – an unproven, somewhat raw rookie. Under most circumstances, I would have to assume that the Steelers would want to ease their new tight end onto the NFL stage. But I don’t see that being the case this year.
Even if Freiermuth has some inconsistencies or missed assignments, the coaching staff is quickly going to notice how much better he is as a blocker and use him accordingly. Ebron was credited with just 9 starts last season but played 70 percent of offensive snaps. I don’t see that happening again in 2021.