Pat Freiermuth Continues to Prove Steelers Right
After watching the travesty that was the Pittsburgh Steelers offensive line last season, there was a portion of the fanbase that was still annoyed that Kevin Colbert opted to select a tight end before shoring up the offensive line. Still, Pat Freiermuth had a productive rookie season, catching seven touchdown passes which tied Eric Green for the most touchdown grabs for a rookie in a Steelers uniform. In his second act, Freiermuth just keeps leveling up, proving himself to be a dynamic weapon while proving the Steelers made the right decision last April.
How many NFL teams can say that their best yards-after-catch threat is a tight end? Kansas City with Travis Kelce and Baltimore with Mark Andrews both come to mind as obvious answers to that question.
After seeing Freiermuth's epic 57-yard catch and run against Atlanta yesterday, it's becoming hard to argue that he's not also in that same conversation.
Pickett converted a third down which should have been a gain of about eight, maybe ten yards, and turned it into the longest play of the entire season for the Steelers' offense.
Not only is Freiermuth making more plays after the catch, but he's also helping their offense stretch the field more this season.
According to Sports Info Solutions, his eight catches of over 15-plus air yards trail only Mark Andrews on the season after only having one reception of that distance last year as a rookie. His yards-after-catch ability and skill set to threaten teams down the field have given a massive boost to his yards-per-catch numbers, improving from 8.3 last season to 11.9 this season.
It's not just about how Freiermuth is getting his production either, it's about when he's coming down with those key grabs.
All three of his receptions against the Atlanta Falcons came on third downs as he moved the sticks on every opportunity. Freiermuth's 15 catches on third downs leads the Steelers by a wide margin as no other player on the team has eclipsed double digits thus far. The term security blanket is often a cliche phrase that sticks to tight ends regardless of effectiveness, but that's exactly what Freiermuth has transformed into.
There is a clear level of trust that exists between him and Kenny Pickett in those "gotta-have-it" moments when they a first down.
The touchdown totals are down, but that's hardly an indictment on his play as the Steelers as a whole have been a travesty inside the red zone. Freiermuth even had a golden opportunity for a touchdown in Week 13, beating Falcons star cornerback A.J. Terrell up the seam but Pickett misfired, throwing well over his head. With more experience working together, you hope that more of those opportunities result in six points on the scoreboard down the road.
Freiermuth is developing into the exact receiving weapon that Pittsburgh thought they would be getting back in April of 2021. It's easy to look back on that weekend now and wonder how the Steelers were able to strike gold, finding such a talented player at a position of need at pick 55.
Freiermuth's fall out of the first round was likely due to the fact that he was injured for most of his final season at Penn State and didn't test during the pre-draft process as he worked himself back into shape. It's safe to say that in the end, all of those things worked out well for all parties involved.
As a receiver, there's a legit argument to be made that Freiermuth is already a top-ten weapon at the position. He's sure-handed with a skill set to win in multiple areas of the field and seems to be getting better as each week passes.
There are only two real potential speed bumps that could prohibit Freiermuth from taking another leap into that next tier of players at his position: health and blocking.
Freiermuth's only missed two games so far in his career, but both were concussion-related. Anytime a player suffers three known concussions this early into his career, you really begin to worry about the longevity and more importantly, the safety of the player's well-being. Those freak, bang-bang plays are nearly impossible to prevent in such a violent, gladiator-like sport but let's hope that luck is on Freiermuth's side from here on out.
When you think about the elite players at the tight end position over the past half-decade or so, you immediately list guys that are well-rounded assets in both the passing game and as a blocker. Think about George Kittle's impact as an impact run blocker in the Niners scheme and how important that is to their success on a weekly basis. While not quite as dominant in that regard, both Andrews and Kelce are more than solid in this regard on a yearly basis.
Freiermuth just isn't quite there yet. There is a very clear indication that Freiermuth is a willing blocker who genuinely gives effort out there which is more than you can say from others masquerading as tight ends in the league. But as of right now, he's a more willing blocker than a capable one who struggles both at the point of attack and when trying to sustain blocks.
Every player has weaknesses, and if anything, this should make Steelers fans feel even better about the long-term outlook of the 2021 second-round selection. Imagine if the quarterback play improves while he continues to make strides over time as a blocker. Freiermuth is already a legitimately good player this early in his career, but if he's able to grind away at those weaknesses to become a truly complete tight end, the Steelers could have themselves a perennial Pro Bowler.
It's been tough to watch the 2022 Steelers offense at times this season, but it's been a joy to watch Freiermuth's evolution as a player. Each week, he just keeps proving the Steelers right, and for a team in the middle of a rebuild, #88 looks like a foundational piece to the offense's core moving forward.
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