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Revamping The Tight End Position in 2021

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The Pittsburgh Steelers offense is in the midst of going through a monumental change on the offensive side of the ball for this upcoming season. Not only did the Steelers select running back Najee Harris out of the University of Alabama with their first round selection in hopes of finally turning around the running game, they also decided to go “all in” on this offense by selecting tight end Pat Freiermuth out of Penn State University with their one and only selection in the second round, immediately following the pick of Harris. There were other options for the Steelers to choose from. Talented players at various positions of need were still available when the Steelers were on the clock with that second round pick. Obviously, the decision to draft Freiermuth tells SteelerNation that the team they have now is built to win, and these pieces will help them do so.

I guess the real question still left unanswered is the question of why tight end? Why did the Steelers use one of their high coveted early round selections on a player at a position that the Steelers themselves spent a good chunk of change on during last year’s off-season? The only true answer I can gather is that the selection seems to lie on just how good this young prospect could be or the potential vision they have for both Eric Ebron and Freiermuth himself.






It seems as if there had to have been a plan already in place for the tight end position going into 2021, and when Freiermuth landed right into their laps at pick 55, the whole plan seemed to come to fruition right then and there. Both tight ends at the top of this depth chart have skill sets that balance each other out to a point where it can keep defenses guessing on a weekly basis, a plus for an offense looking for change.

While Ebron and Freiermuth are both very reliable red zone targets, both position players’ skill sets create mismatches on the defensive side of the ball. Ebron’s skill set doesn’t really reflect that “comfort blanket” persona that most tight ends have, more so a playmaker. I’m a big fan of Ebron, I think he is one of the best tight ends in the league with the ball in his hands. He has the playmaking ability of a wide receiver and has the ability to beat a linebacker matched up with him one on one, just purely based off of speed. Having essentially a receiver type of player playing the tight end position benefits the team in many more ways than one, and that’s what Ebron’s skill set brings to the table.



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Freiermuth, on the other hand, has a skill set that is more inclined with that comfort blanket type of title. While Freiermuth has been called “baby Gronk” for many various reasons, one of them could be because of just how reliable this player is. While at Penn State, Freiermuth was credited with zero dropped passes on 30 career red zone targets which is an area this Steelers team has struggled with offensively through the past two seasons. Not only was he reliable as a red zone target, but throughout his whole college career, Freiermuth was credited with only eight dropped passes on 100 career “catchable” targets. Freiermuth is not the type of tight end that can beat a linebacker with just flat out speed, but he is the type that you can trust will be there for quarterback Ben Roethlisberger in times of need, sort of like the type of player Heath Miller was for this team in the 2010’s.

We all know what happens when people assume things, but I think it’s pretty safe to say that the Steelers will use both of these tight ends in packages that will not only help the team, but also help both of these players to show off their skill sets in the ways that best fit them. This is a position that this organization has struggled to find a replacement after Miller’s retirement back in 2016. This pairing of Ebron and Freiermuth is bound to bring the same if not more success for this team for the near future.



Do you think this TE pairing will flourish in 2021? Comment below!

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MT~Forged

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If the kid is as good as I have been hearing, he could very well move Ebron to #2 TE in short order. It will only take a few drops by Ebron and he will be done.
 

slashsteel

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If the kid is as good as I have been hearing, he could very well move Ebron to #2 TE in short order. It will only take a few drops by Ebron and he will be done.
It is not so crazy to think this. One could debate the basket is empty as far as blocking at the position. Not sure Pat will be a dominant blocker looked more like a wall off type on tape. But even that is an upgrade over Ebron's blocking. Those RedZone clutch hands will be welcomed as well. If Pat shows to be reliable early which isn't out of the realm of a possibility he could gain reps at Ebron's expense when they are not in two TE sets.
 

madinsomniac

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I low key love this pick... I really wanted a center with the second round pick, but thos guy had a low first round grade from a bunch of places.... a guy like Ebron is what everyone is looking for, but we love a guy like heath... this kid can be a heath 2.0 and can carry the position for a decade through ben’s successor if he is as good as advertised
 

madinsomniac

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Iirc Canada also likes to use fullbacks and tes in hback roles... so we did need more depth here
 

Steeltime

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It is not so crazy to think this. One could debate the basket is empty as far as blocking at the position. Not sure Pat will be a dominant blocker looked more like a wall off type on tape. But even that is an upgrade over Ebron's blocking.

That is exactly what I saw on tape for Freiermuth. He is an effective blocker, good balance, uses his hands pretty well, but he is not going take defenders three yards from the spot he began the block. The thing I liked about his blocking is that he tended to be in really good position to start the block, great foot positioning, excellent angle to the defenders. That vastly reduces reach blocks and holding penalties.
 

BLITZ

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I hated the pick while watching the draft, but am extremely thankful I am just a fan and not in charge. I think this guy will be a perfect fit for us
 

slashsteel

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I hated the pick while watching the draft, but am extremely thankful I am just a fan and not in charge. I think this guy will be a perfect fit for us
It helps when you get a center in the 3rd who is both athletic and physical, and a T that was available in large part due to an extreme top heavy T class. I think it easy to get glued in on a position of need. This year those needs were in abundance. Still think they might be a CB short. I have very little confidence in Layne.
 

TDX27

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Pure speed would help a TE but many of the very good ones don't have elite speed. Gronk only ran a couple hundredths faster the Freiermuth's most recent 40 time so I don't think that will be an issue.
 

SteelerFan448

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Pure speed would help a TE but many of the very good ones don't have elite speed. Gronk only ran a couple hundredths faster the Freiermuth's most recent 40 time so I don't think that will be an issue.
Gronk is probably one of the slowest at the position right now and he's still very good. Heath was never the fastest either. All about attention to detail with their route running and playing to their size.
 

Black & Gold Bleeder

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I think with the emphasis on the run. And the numerous weapons we have,,, , add canadas willingness to shift etc. I think we see lots of double tight end sets and shifting one or both TE's around to create mismatches and blocking schemes. I think washington gets significantly less playing time this year. I like the guy.
 

wig

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If the kid is as good as I have been hearing, he could very well move Ebron to #2 TE in short order. It will only take a few drops by Ebron and he will be done.
I read Ebron wanted to take up that challenge, but became distracted and immediately dropped it.
 

mightyguru

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Just watching some of the practice film, 'Muth looks pretty smooth/fluid in his routes and breaks. Especially for a 6'5" 260lb dude.
 
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