Don’t forget about Steelers most reliable pass-catcher after new additions

Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth (88). Mandatory Credit: Scott Galvin-USA TODAY Sports
Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth (88). Mandatory Credit: Scott Galvin-USA TODAY Sports

Right now, the Steelers shiny, new weapons are all the buzz, but let’s not be quick to forget about Pittsburgh’s most reliable pass-catcher from the 2021 season. 

The closure of the NFL Draft almost seems like Christmas morning to many die-hard football fans. They are busy looking up highlight films and calling their friends to brag about their new weapons.

The Steelers recently selected three new players on offense to get excited about this year. Obviously, Pittsburgh fans are anxiously waiting to see if Kenny Pickett is going to be ‘the franchise guy’ for this team moving forward. However, I haven’t come across a Steelers fan who isn’t stoked to see new receivers George Pickens and Calvin Austin in action.

Both players proved to be good value picks when weighed against the NFL consensus big board (the average prospect rankings of the top-10 draft experts). Pickens should carve out a huge role right away with the team, while Austin could prove to be a dynamic weapon as early as his rookie seasons.

Fans get even more excited when they think about pairing these two players with Diontae Johnson and Chase Claypool. The team even added former Ravens third-round pick, Miles Boykin, just before the NFL Draft.

Collectively, this group is one of the youngest (and perhaps even deepest) in the league. But don’t let the shimmer of this flashy, new receiving corps make you forget about the Steelers most reliable pass-catcher from the 2021 season.

Steelers fans can’t forget about Pat Freiermuth

Somehow lost in the shuffle is Steelers second-year tight end, Pat Freiermuth. Despite a remarkable rookie season after being the team’s second-round draft choice in 2021, I’ve hardly heard Freiermuth’s name mentioned when fans and writers have taken to social media boasting about Pittsburgh’s offensive weapons this year.

Though it was just a one-year sample, statistically, Freiermuth was the most reliable of the group. the 6’5” tight end caught 75.9 percent of his targets last season and had just 2 drops on 79 targets.

While Pat averaged just 8.3 yards per reception during his rookie season, he was as dependable as they come. Thanks to Freiermuth’s massive catch radius and physicality at the catch point, Ben Roethlisberger did not throw a single interception when targeting the young tight end. This led to Big Ben having a 121.1 passer rating when throwing to Freiermuth — the best on the team, according to Pro Football Reference.

In addition, Freiermuth reeled in 7 touchdowns and was credited with breaking 8 tackles after the catch in his first season despite somewhat limited usage in the passing game. He also was a bear to defend in the red zone as he seemed to snag anything within his radius.

This year, there will be a new quarterback at the helm (either Mitch Trubisky or Kenny Pickett to begin the season), and it’s hard to say which receivers they will favor or how they will distribute targets.

When Ben was leading the pack, he had a clear favorite in Diontae Johnson, thanks to his ability to separate at will. It’s possible that Pickett or Trubisky could have the same preference. However, I would expect even more usage from Freiermuth in his second NFL season. The big, reliable tight end should be a quarterback’s best friend over the middle of the field.

The Steelers suddenly have a plethora of receiving weapons after a very exciting 2022 offseason, but next time you talk about them, be sure not to leave Pat Freiermuth off your list. He might be as impressive as any on the team moving forward.

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