NFL Week 9 FTN Staff Bets
FTN Staff
The Pittsburgh Steelers nabbed an in-state tight end in the second round of the 2021 NFL Draft Friday, picking Penn State TE Pat Freiermuth with the No. 55 pick.
(Check out the FTN Pat Freiermuth scouting report here.)
Freiermuth won the 2020 Kwalick-Clark Award, given to the No. 1 tight end of the year in the Big Ten. He had 1,185 receiving yards and 16 touchdowns in 29 games over his three-year Penn State career. He joins the Steelers, where he’ll play alongside TE Eric Ebron after veteran Vance McDonald retired this offseason.
(Follow along with every pick in the FTN Draft Tracker.)
Freiermuth is a very complete football player, as he is a strong blocker but also has very good route-running ability. He is a creative and smart route-runner and at 6-foot-5 and 260 pounds, Freiermuth has the size to shed tackles after the catch. He’ll join Eric Ebron in two-TE sets this season but likely won’t be all that fantasy relevant in year one, especially if the Steelers look to get the run game going with Najee Harris. Of course, addressing the offensive line would have gone a long way towards getting that started. Freiermuth is someone that should be on your radar in 2022, not so much this season. — Adam Pfeifer
