Steelers TE could become go-to target for Kenny Pickett early in his career

Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth (88) Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports
Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth (88) Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports

Kenny Pickett is going to have plenty of options to throw to when he becomes the starter, but here’s why the Steelers QB could favor Pat Freiermuth.

With a new era in Pittsburgh comes an overhaul of the Steelers offense. Without players like Ben Roethlisberger, JuJu Smith-Schuster, James Washington, and Ray-Ray McCloud this year, the target distribution is difficult to predict.

For starters, we don’t even know which quarterback will be leading the charge to begin the 2022 season. We do, however, know that this will be Kenny Pickett’s job sooner rather than later. The Steelers spent the 20th overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft to acquire Pickett, and the rookie will turn 24 years old during Steelers OTAs.

I would certainly expect Pickett to be the starting quarterback at some point this season, and fans are anxious to see who will become his favorite target in the NFL.

Last year at Pitt, talented WR Jordan Addison had a remarkable breakout campaign as a sophomore. Listed at 6’0” and 175 pounds, Addison is a relatively small receiver who can create separation at will and is electric with the ball in his hands.

Because of this, many assume that Pickett will pepper Diontae Johnson with targets, as he fits a very similar profile. After all, this is essentially what Ben Roethlisberger did over the past few years. However, don’t rule out Pat Freiermuth as a favorite target for the rookie QB.

Freiermuth could be favorite target for Steelers rookie QB

I don’t believe that Freiermuth will earn more targets than a player like Diontae Johnson — no matter who is at the helm. However, I do believe that Pat could certainly be a go-to target over the middle of the field that he can count on.

Last year, Pitt’s top two tight ends — Lucus Kroll and Gavin Bartholomew — combined for 66 receptions, 777 receiving yards, and 10 touchdowns in 13 games, via Sports Reference. This had a lot to do with Pickett’s preferences.

According to his heat map from Pro Football Focus, Pickett heavily favored throwing to the middle of the football field and was well above average when compared to NCAA quarterbacks in this department. On the contrary, his sideline passes were ice cold — meaning this isn’t where he preferred to go with the football.

Meanwhile, Freiermuth already had a thoroughly impressive rookie season. Now that he has firmly established himself as the team’s number one tight end and full-time starter, Freiermuth could really have a breakout year in his second season in 2022.

It’s easy to see how the Pickett-to-TE connection could continue in the NFL. Pickett is aggressive over the middle of the field and unlike some of the other quarterbacks who were drafted this past April, his size won’t limit him to throwing over the middle.

If Pickett is the QB who gets the nod for the Steelers, I would expect Freirmuth to be a weapon for him over the middle of the field. In fact, I wouldn’t put it past him to be one of the most productive tight ends in the league as early as the 2022 season. I’m, excited to see how this connection will work, but Pickett to Freiermuth seems like a great match based on their skill sets.

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