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TE Pat Freiermuth, PIT (1 Viewer)

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Footballguy
Pat is a 6'5" 250 lb TE who has been coined Baby Gronk. He's expected to get picked in the top 50 of the NFL draft and is likely a 2nd round rookie pick. He's probably TE 2 behind Kyle Pitts in this class and should be an impact TE at the next level.
 
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'He checks every single box': How Freiermuth projects as NFL Draft prospect

Ever since bursting onto the scene as a freshman at Penn State, Merrimac's Pat Freiermuth has been regarded as one of the nation's top tight ends. The former Pentucket and Brooks School standout now leaves as the program's all-time leader in touchdown catches by a tight end, and the 6-foot-5, 258-pounder is expected to be an early selection in this April's 2021 NFL Draft.

But how will Freiermuth's skills translate to the next level? And how will he be looked at by NFL decision makers ahead of the draft? As someone who is not an NFL talent evaluator and who has known Freiermuth and his family since he was a 14-year-old sophomore at Pentucket, I acknowledge that I'm not exactly the best person to offer that insight. So I reached out to Evan Lazar, who covers the New England Patriots for CNLS Media and specializes in talent evaluation and analyzing the Xs and Os of football, for a more informed opinion.

During the offseason Lazar annually produces a terrific list of Twitter threads breaking down all of the top draft prospects, and earlier this week he took at look at Freiermuth and the other top tight end prospects in the draft. With Freiermuth's film fresh in mind, I asked Lazar for his thoughts on the local star. Our conversation, which has been lightly edited for length and clarity, is as follows.

Mac Cerullo: When you watched Pat Freiermuth's film earlier this week, what were your overall impressions of him as a NFL prospect?

Evan Lazar: The biggest thing that I would say stands out with him is speed. He's not necessarily a straight-line speed type of guy, I wouldn't call him a vertical threat at that position, but he's really good at the line of scrimmage, really good at the top of the route, and definitely creates separation with his route running and his technique. There are a lot of tight ends like that who aren't necessarily straight-line burners in the seam, and I think he's going to be productive whether they put him with his hand in the dirt or if they detach him from the formation in the slot or something and have him run slants and breaking routes or cut off the field horizontally. I think he's going to be able to use his size and his frame pretty productively.

Evan Lazar @ezlazar

#Patriots draft target: Penn State TE Pat Freiermuth. 6-5, 258. Quick feet, plays through contact, strong release package, YAC, & blocking upside. First thing that jumps out is his blocking. Excellent combo block here. Displacement on the double then peel off w/good timing.

https://twitter.com/ezlazar/status/1354193231760732160?s=21

MC: In your thread you were particularly complimentary of Freiermuth's blocking ability. What stands out the most?

EL: He's really impressive for a college guy. A lot of college guys nowadays are not very good blockers technique-wise, they're not very well coached in those areas and they just don't come into the NFL as polished blockers, especially ones that are good pass catchers like [Florida tight end] Kyle Pitts. Pat can definitely block, and that's something that was very impressive. They used him in multiple ways as a blocker, as a lead blocker on quarterback draw type plays or read option type plays, and also at the end of the line of scrimmage blocking guys face to face, and he did pretty much everything well in 2020 in that regard.

MC: In what areas do you think Freiermuth needs to improve? 

EL: When you look at his blocking you want to see if he has the strength and has the frame to kind of build it out. There are going to be instances with these college guys where their blocking technique is raw, so with Pat I would like to see him use his hands a little more. A lot of these guys they'll try to just lower their shoulder into contact and try to block that way and not use their hands as guidelines, it's much easier to connect and guide a guy when you've got good hand placement than if you're trying to just body him, so I think that would be a next step for him. 

As a pass catcher, I didn't think he was as good up the field as a vertical threat, running the seam, things like that. He didn't do it a ton, and if there's one thing I would like to see more out of him, I don't know that it's necessarily that he does it poorly, I would just like to see more of that ability to run the old Gronk seam route, that type of thing. But his route running reminds me a lot more of a different type of tight end from Gronk, but he really gets in and out of his routes a lot more like a Zach Ertz type than a Gronk type where he can really be sort of quick and sudden out of his moves and get open that way, so I'm not sure it necessarily matters that he's not going to really test coverage by running by anybody.

MC: I'm glad you mentioned Rob Gronkowski, because that's who Freiermuth has most often been compared to. Do you feel that is a reasonable comparison?

EL: It's always tough to compare anybody to Gronk, and that's something I often try to stay away from with comparisons in general, not just Gronk, but obviously I'm not going to compare any quarterback to Tom Brady or any wide receiver to Randy Moss. I think what you do see with him is that two-way versatility, that ability to put his hand in the ground and block, and also run routes from different alignments. In that sense he is kind of like a Gronk piece where he's a traditional in-line tight end, but he can also be a move piece where you can get matchups for him in the slot or out wide or wherever you want to move him around, and that's what made Gronk so rare. 

I think Pat shows he can be at least a little bit of both, and in that respect just in terms of his blocking, everyone is going to have Kyle Pitts as the No. 1 tight end in the draft, but in terms of the all-around skillset I think Pat does have a more complete package, with his blocking ability and receiving ability than a guy like Pitts. I see the comparison in that respect in terms of his usage, but obviously nobody is going to be as physically dominant as Gronk.

MC: When do you expect Freiermuth to be taken and what do you think are reasonable expectations for him as an NFL player?

EL: I think there's a chance that he sneaks into the end of the first round, honestly. He's got everything you look for at that position, he checks every single box. A lot of teams are going to be interested in him towards the back end of the first round, maybe early Day 2. I actually did his thread before Kyle Pitts' thread because the Patriots with that No. 46 pick, that feels like a really nice spot for him if he ends up being there. It might be a little late in terms of where he's going to go, but I would say somewhere in that 25 to 46 range, I don't know if he gets past 46 if he's still on the board and the Patriots are on the clock.

In terms of his NFL projection, the main thing you have to remember is that tight ends, especially rookie tight ends, tend not to produce right away. Those guys take a couple of years to build up to good production, but I think he's going to be a 600-700 receiving yard type of guy, which for a tight end is really good. The comparison I think I would use for him that's a little bit different from Gronk would be Hunter Henry, who does a lot of the same things as a guy like Pat, and if you look at Hunter Henry's career statistics, that 600-700 yard range is pretty much where he's at when he's healthy.
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Penn State redshirt junior TE Pat Freiermuth declared for the NFL Draft.

Freiermuth (6'5/260) underwent season ending surgery for an undisclosed injury back in November and missed the remainder of the season. He finished the season with 23 catches for 310 yards and a touchdown. The redshirt junior is regarded as a top three tight end in the 2021 NFL Draft class with the potential to be selected in the first-round. The Athletic's Dana Brugler writes "Freiermuth has several strengths to his game, including his route-running and hands, but his compete skills stood out to me the most." Besides Florida TE Kyle Pitts, Freiermuth is as good as any other tight end in the 2021 class. 

SOURCE: Pat Freiermuth on Twitter

Dec 20, 2020, 3:29 PM ET
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Faust said:
Penn State redshirt junior TE Pat Freiermuth declared for the NFL Draft.

Freiermuth (6'5/260) underwent season ending surgery for an undisclosed injury back in November and missed the remainder of the season. He finished the season with 23 catches for 310 yards and a touchdown. The redshirt junior is regarded as a top three tight end in the 2021 NFL Draft class with the potential to be selected in the first-round. The Athletic's Dana Brugler writes "Freiermuth has several strengths to his game, including his route-running and hands, but his compete skills stood out to me the most." Besides Florida TE Kyle Pitts, Freiermuth is as good as any other tight end in the 2021 class. 

SOURCE: Pat Freiermuth on Twitter

Dec 20, 2020, 3:29 PM ET
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#2 TE on most boards and a few even like him as the #1TE.  There are 3 TEs I love in this draft and one or two more I like for later in the draft.  Generally I don't like drafting TEs early.  I predict Freiermuth will go off the board in dynasty drafts early in the 2nd round.  Jordan probably late 2nd to early 3rd, or maybe late 3rd.

 
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Not a lot of discussion with him here and I like that because he's flying under the radar.  That's because of all the hype Pitts is getting, but he's better than all the TEs from the 2020 draft.

 
He's a better prospect than anyone from last year, arguably better than Hockenson even from 2019. I wouldn't go that far but it's a conversation worth having. He should go mid-late 1st in the NFL draft. 

It's weird how TE's are so replaceable other than the absolutely elite ones. It's almost impossible to find that elite guy. At least Pat has a chance to become that. Other's like Jonnu, Tonyan, Gesicki, Irv Smith don't seem to have that ceiling. 

 
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Sitting on 2.4 & 2.12 in Dynasty and two of the questions that I must answer prior to the draft is whether I'm willing to take the plunge on a developmental TE at these spots, or let Freiermuth and Brevin Jordan pass.

If "Baby Gronk" or even Hockenson comps are reasonable for Freiermuth, it's a no-brainer.   I'm a bit skeptical on both.   Betting money says that Gronk is a gross exaggeration and Hockenson is slightly optimistic.   As I recall, Hockenson was a fixture in the back half of round 1 mock drafts for a long time leading up through rookie drafts.   That draft probably wasn't the most top-heavy, but still projecting strictly on fantasy upside, it seems like Pitts might be more of a rich man's Hockenson.   Freiermuth might be more of a Fant strictly on fantasy upside, not on what Freiermuth will bring to his NFL team.

For me the question is whether Freiermuth has the goods and finds a team that will allow him to flash in his rookie season much like Hockenson did in week 1.   If you have a budding young TE who looks destined to crack the top half of the TE1s, I will take that with my mid-2nd all day long.   However, the downside of using meaningful draft capital on a rookie TE with anything less than a can't miss stud pedigree goes without saying.   There's nothing worse than burning a high pick on a TE who brings nothing to the table while supposedly possessing too much upside to even consider freeing up that roster spot prior to his Year 3 season.  My standard protocol is to just take one of the running backs that has a snow ball's chance in round 2.   If they show nothing in their rookie year, you can probably feel better about cutting them and not having future nightmares.   However, maybe Freiermuth is good enough to make that commitment.       

 
Steelers selected Penn State TE Pat Freiermuth with the No. 55 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.

Freiermuth's size (6'5/258) and resume lend confidence he can excel as an every-down player in the NFL, recording a catch in 29 consecutive games (all but his college debut) and passing Mike Gesicki for the most touchdown receptions (16) by a tight end in Penn State history. He earned the "Baby Gronk" monicker as a sure-handed inline option, totaling three drops on 99 targets while shedding 12 tackles on 66 receptions over the last two seasons. Freiermuth has the build and traits to be an above-average blocker in the NFL, as he was throughout his career with the Nittany Lions. The Steelers have Eric Ebron signed through 2022 and the tight end position has one of the steepest learning curves, but Freiermuth has tools and history of college production to make a Year 1 impact.

Apr 30, 2021, 8:52 PM ET
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timschochet said:
He wasn’t involved much. Ebron was on the field most of the time. 
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Not sure you were watching the same game as me. They were on the field about the same amount of time (of 58 plays, Pat had 29 snaps, Ebron had 27) . Ben just didn't look at either one very much--1 target for Pat and 2 for Ebron.

 
apalmer said:
Not sure you were watching the same game as me. They were on the field about the same amount of time (of 58 plays, Pat had 29 snaps, Ebron had 27) . Ben just didn't look at either one very much--1 target for Pat and 2 for Ebron.
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Agreed.  Ben was focused on throwing to his WRs.  Didn’t look at the TEs much at all. 

 
Pat Freiermuth caught 3-of-5 targets for 22 yards and a touchdown in the Steelers' Week 3 loss to the Bengals.

That's Freiermuth's first career touchdown and his third game with at least three targets. He's out-producing Eric Ebron but the Steelers are still splitting their snaps. Freiermuth isn't on the fantasy radar yet but the health of Pittsburgh's receivers could change that. All three of the Steelers' starting wideouts are currently banged up. If multiple of them miss Week 4, Freiermuth would enter the TE2 conversation.
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Starting Baby Gronk this week with Tremble on the bench. My TE's going into the Year Tonyan/Ertz both dropped like a sack of potatoes. With zero wins I'm taking some drastic measures. My QB and WRS are solid with my RBs outside of Dalvin Cook sketchy and mostly low end RB2/Flex guys 

 
Will need a TE next week for Hock's bye and am thinking of going in on this guy a week early. Even if Ebron is only looking at a one-game absence, this week could give him the opportunity to stake his claim going forward (which might have happened even if EE had remained healthy). Only thing that gives me pause is that he'll have a tough match-up next week vs. Chicago

 
ignatiusjreilly said:
Will need a TE next week for Hock's bye and am thinking of going in on this guy a week early. Even if Ebron is only looking at a one-game absence, this week could give him the opportunity to stake his claim going forward (which might have happened even if EE had remained healthy). Only thing that gives me pause is that he'll have a tough match-up next week vs. Chicago
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I did the same thing and started him over Hock…very nice game tonight

 
Pat Freiermuth caught 5-of-6 targets for 43 yards and two touchdowns in the Steelers' Week 9 win over the Bears.

With Eric Ebron (hamstring) missing a second straight game, Freiermuth handled TE1 duties and caught both of Ben Roethlisberger's touchdowns via four- and 10-yard scores. Over the last two weeks, Freiermuth has nine catches for 77 yards and three touchdowns with Ebron out. Freiermuth deserves to keep the starting job even when Ebron returns to health. The Steelers host the lowly Lions in Week 10.

Nov 8, 2021, 11:50 PM ET
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Is this guy for real the rest of the season? Should we be concerned about Ebron cutting into his productivity?

 
Saboo said:
Is this guy for real the rest of the season? Should we be concerned about Ebron cutting into his productivity?
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Freiermuth was in on 71 percent of snaps, and Zach Gentry was in on 51 percent. My guess is Ebron will take Gentry's spot, leaving Freiermuth to keep doing his thing. 

I think the bigger deal was that the JuJu injury allowed Freiermuth to take Smith-Schuster's role, which has become more valuable now that Ben can't throw farther than my seventh-grade son. 

 
TampaMike19 said:
Dude looks like a dynasty stud 
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I wouldn't go so far as to say stud, but he's earned a spot in the top-12 at his position.

Probably round #8 or so right now, but that is still in the "pray for a TD" range of average to above-average TEs in the league.  If his usage and snap percentage continue along this progression in the next month I would be inclined to rank him higher going into next season.

 
Pat Freiermuth caught 4-of-7 targets for 11 yards and a touchdown in the Steelers' Week 11 loss to the Chargers.

It wasn't the most efficient day for the rookie tight end from a yards-per-target standpoint, but he saved an otherwise unproductive day with a short fourth-quarter touchdown. This is Freiermuth's fifth straight game with at least six targets, and he has emerged as a low-end TE1 option as a result of that volume. Eric Ebron also left the game late with a knee injury. If he misses time, Freiermuth would flirt with must-start status. Keep an eye out for Ebron news.

Nov 22, 2021, 12:06 AM ET
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Pat Freiermuth caught all four of his targets for 40 yards and a touchdown in the Steelers' Week 12 loss to the Bengals. 

For reasons unknown, the Steelers starters were in the game while down 38 points in the final minutes of the game. It worked out for Freiermuth [Firemouth!], who caught an impressive 15-yard touchdown from Ben Roethlisberger between double coverage for Pittsburgh's lone touchdown of the day. Freiermuth will surely see an increase in snaps, pass routes, and targets with Eric Ebron (knee) on injured reserve. He'll be a starter in 12-team formats next week against the Ravens. Baltimore is allowing a league-high target share to enemy tight ends this year.

- NBC SportsEDGE
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BobbyLayne said:
TE5 over the last 5 G

I’ve been starting him over Hock the last few weeks
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This was the week I started considering the same thing. At a minimum, if Deebo sits next week I may start him at flex.

One caveat: He's been very TD-dependent and Ben is always capable of rendering the entire offense unusable. If he doesn't get the garbagiest of garbage TDs yesterday he's at 3/25/0 and we're all shrugging our shoulders.

 
ignatiusjreilly said:
This was the week I started considering the same thing. At a minimum, if Deebo sits next week I may start him at flex.

One caveat: He's been very TD-dependent and Ben is always capable of rendering the entire offense unusable. If he doesn't get the garbagiest of garbage TDs yesterday he's at 3/25/0 and we're all shrugging our shoulders.
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That’s what happens when you get RZ targets. You score touchdowns. That’s not a bad thing. He leads the Steelers in RZ targets inside the 20 (15-11-11) and inside the 10 (9-5-5); 5 of his 6 TDs have come from the latter.

Yesterday was his fewest targets (4) since Week 6, and it was a blowout loss so kind of whatever. Like there’s not much to learn from that kind of game, nothing went right. Najee had his worst game of the year but he hasn’t had a stinker all year - doesn’t necessarily portent anything to come.

He’s an integral part of their offense every week. You’re right, he’s not going to rack up yardage like the Top 4 elite guys. But he is going to keep getting looks when they are close to the goal line.

 
BobbyLayne said:
That’s what happens when you get RZ targets. You score touchdowns. That’s not a bad thing. He leads the Steelers in RZ targets inside the 20 (15-11-11) and inside the 10 (9-5-5); 5 of his 6 TDs have come from the latter.

Yesterday was his fewest targets (4) since Week 6, and it was a blowout loss so kind of whatever. Like there’s not much to learn from that kind of game, nothing went right. Najee had his worst game of the year but he hasn’t had a stinker all year - doesn’t necessarily portent anything to come.

He’s an integral part of their offense every week. You’re right, he’s not going to rack up yardage like the Top 4 elite guys. But he is going to keep getting looks when they are close to the goal line.
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Don't really disagree with you, except for the fact that, with Ben, a crap-the-bed game is more likely to be on the table, especially as the weather gets colder. 'Muth can't get red zone targets if the Steelers never make it there because Ben threw a drive-killing pick.

But that doesn't mean I don't like the guy! And we're talking about a TE; there is literally not one player at that position who has delivered consistent production all year. So by all means keep using him. Just be aware of the floor.

 
Pat Freiermuth was evaluated for a concussion after the Steelers' Week 12 loss to the Bengals.

Freiermuth suffered the concussion in the final minutes of a blowout loss to the Bengals. He snagged a touchdown with three minutes left but was ultimately forced from the game shortly after. With Eric Ebron on injured reserve because of a knee injury, the Steelers could be down to Zach Gentry as their starting tight end. Gentry would be nothing more than a touchdown-or-bust TE2 flyer if he gets the start versus Baltimore. 

SOURCE: Brooke Pryor on Twitter

Nov 29, 2021, 5:11 PM ET
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Steelers placed TE Pat Freirmuth in the concussion protocol.

It's still possible Freiermuth is limited in practice mid-week and eventually cleared ahead of Sunday. His participation will be worth monitoring. Zach Gentry would replace the rookie as a thin flier for TE-Premium leagues if Freiermuth can't clear protocol in Week 13.

SOURCE: Andrew Siciliano on Twitter

Nov 30, 2021, 2:51 PM ET
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