Kyle Pitts will be the biggest talked about tight-end in the 2021 NFL draft. Brevin Jordan will also be talked about a ton as well. Therefore, Penn State TE Pat Freiermuth will be overlooked due to the overwhelming attention Pitts and Jordan gain during the draft. Don't overlook Freiermuth. He is my dark horse of the 2021 NFL draft.
The first trait you will notice about Pat is his size. He is a massive tight-end who is 6-foot-5, 248-pound specimen. He also has speed, and athleticism with that size. Freiermuth is a very physical tight-end. He loves to make you pay when you try and tackle him. Looks like Heath Miller at times. Pro Football Network said it best when it comes to the tight-ends in 2021. 'Kyle Pitts is the transcendent chess piece. Brevin Jordan is the run-after-catch savant. That leaves Pat Freiermuth being the bully.'
Physicality is one of Pat's best traits. When he runs down the field with the football he loves to hit you making you think twice about coming after him on the football field. He has a great IQ when it comes to football as well as great route running. He can act as a blocker at times, but then explode into the backfield.
In 2018 Friermuth had 26 receptions, for 368 yards, and 8 touchdowns. He averaged 14.2 yards per carry. In 2019 Freiermuth had 43 receptions, for 507 yards, and 7 touchdowns. He averaged 11.8 yards per carry. 2020 was a down year for Friermuth, but Penn State was not a good football team in 2020. They went 4-5. With that said Friermuth had 23 receptions, for 310 yards, and 1 touchdown. He averaged 13.5 yards per catch. Again one of his best traits is his physicality. It shows because he averages around 12 yards per catch during his time at Penn State.
In 2020, Freiermuth was looking to build off his sophomore campaign, but Penn State didn't have stellar quarterback play and Freiermuth only played four games before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury that required surgery. In those four games, Freiermuth recorded 23 receptions for 310 yards and a touchdown, averaging 74.2 yards per game.
Despite playing only four games this past season, Friermuth was named the Kwalick-Clark Big Ten Tight End of the Year, becoming the first-ever Penn State tight end to win the award. He also earned first-team All-Big Ten by the coaches and second-team All-Big Ten by the media.
Freiermuth appeared in 30 career games and made 26 starts at Penn State, along with being a two-time team captain. Friermuth owns the record for Penn State career touchdown receptions by a tight end with 16, passing Mike Gesicki (15; 2014-17). In addition, he had 92 receptions for 1,185 yards in his career and had a reception in 29-straight games, dating back to the Pitt game on Sept. 8, 2018, which is a school-record among tight ends. Freiermuth frequently made explosive plays as well with 19 career receptions of 20 or more yards during his time at Penn State.
Freiermuth is projected to be drafted early-to-middle in Round 2. He looks like the type of tight-end the Steelers would pick and love.