By: Nate Christian (@NateNFL)
The Rundown:
If you are an NFL GM who needs a do-it-all tight end to slide into your offense, congratulations on the easiest second round pick you’ve ever signed off on. Pat Freiermuth has been nicknamed “Baby Gronk”, and while comparing anybody to one of the greatest tight ends ever is a stretch, we can see similar traits once the film comes on.
College Production:
In 2020, Freiermuth only played four games before suffering a shoulder injury, but in those four games he caught 23 passes for 310 yards and a touchdown. In a weird year for the BIG 10, these statistics were enough for him to win the 2020 BIG 10 Tight End of the Year award. In his first two years at Penn State, Freiermuth caught 69 passes (nice) for 875 yards and 15 touchdowns. He ended his career with some school records for the position, eclipsing some of Mike Gesicki’s ($2,103,794), such as total career TDs by a tight end.
Strengths:
Great NFL Prospect
Perhaps Freiermuth’s greatest strength is that he’s good at everything you could ask a tight end to do. His blocking is impressive, his athleticism is apparent, his hands are strong and consistent, and he’s quicker than you would expect after the catch. I wouldn’t say he’s the best tight end prospect in the class at anything, but he’s so well-rounded that any team would be lucky to have him.
“Baby Gronk”
We’ve seen this body type and play style win before in the NFL, so that bodes well for Freiermuth. His ability to always be on the field, whether lined up tight or in the slot will help him fit any offensive scheme and always keep defenses guessing. Recognizing that Freiermuth is on the field does nothing to tip off the next play for the defense, he’s a grinder at the line of scrimmage and can handle defensive ends, but at the same time can test your linebackers when he takes off on a seam route in-between the hashes.
Basketball Box Outs
A moderately successful high school basketball player it’s no surprise that Freiermuth was a forward and averaged a double-double. He uses those box out moves from the court against defenders on the field. When he sits down in zone coverage or has to high point the ball down the field he’s great at getting the best position between the ball and the defender to make it harder for anyone to cause a pass breakup. This subtle trait is a big deal when it comes to making or breaking the contested catches to move the chains.
Weaknesses:
Low ADoT/YAC/Separation
I was going to all three of these things down separately but I realized they all come together and stem from the same “issue”, lack of elite athleticism. Though Freiermuth didn’t run at his Pro Day, we know that he is going to test decently well, he’s no slouch, but in comparison to Kyle Pitts or Brevin Jordan you can see the difference in athleticism. He’s not a “WR in a TEs body”, he’s not going to make people miss in the open field, and he’s not going to consistently test opposing safeties. This is a “weakness” only in comparison, he’s a good athlete, just not an incredible one like the two other top tight ends in this draft class.
Things to Watch:
As mentioned prior, Freiermuth decided not to run during the Penn State Pro Day, but he did mention that he would likely run for scouts sometime in April before the draft. If he does hold a little pro day for himself I will certainly be watching for the numbers that come out of it. Reports are that Freiermuth ran a 4.72 a year or so ago and if he can get the number in the 4.6’s I think he’ll make some noise, but I’m looking forward to any agility drills that he runs. I want to see if he’s improved on his lateral ability since starting his training.
Projected Round/Contract:
I feel very comfortable slotting Freiermuth into the 2nd round of the NFL Draft. He’s a great prospect for the NFL and could have been a first rounder in this year’s...
