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Penn State tight end Pat Freiermuth is widely regarded as the second-best player at his position in the 2021 NFL draft.
The school recently produced Miami Dolphins tight end Mike Gesicki, who was selected in the second round of the 2018 NFL draft. Freiermuth is also projected to be a second-round pick in the upcoming draft.
Let’s take a closer look at what Freiermuth brings to the table as a prospect.
2021 NFL Draft Prospect Pat Freiermuth’s Profile
--Height: 6’5”
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--Weight: 258 pounds
--Position: Tight End
--School: Penn State
2021 NFL Draft Prospect Profile: Pat Freiermuth’s Receiving Stats and Career At Penn State
--Receptions: 92
--Receiving Yards: 1,185
--Receiving Touchdowns: 16
Freiermuth’s first season in Happy Valley was extremely successful. He only had 26 catches in his freshman season, but nearly a third of them (8) were for touchdowns.
In 2019, Freiermuth was more of a focal point of Penn State's passing offense, as his catch total increased to 43, of which seven were touchdowns.
Like many NFL draft prospects who played in the Big 10 in 2020, Freiermuth’s season last year painted an incomplete picture. He played only four games last year but averaged nearly six receptions per contest in that short sample size.
Freiermuth’s season also ended prematurely, as he opted to have shoulder surgery in November. This should give him plenty of time to get ready for OTAs ahead of the new NFL season.
2021 NFL Draft Prospect Profile: Pat Freiermuth’s strengths
While Freiermuth doesn’t figure to be the bona fide star that University of Florida tight end Kyle Pitts appears to be, the Penn State product seems to have a relatively high NFL ceiling with regards to his potential.
Freiermuth doesn’t have one standout characteristic per se. He is a very well-rounded player, whether as a blocker in the running game or providing an outlet in the passing game for his quarterback.
He figures to be a great locker room guy, as he was one of the captains of the Nittany Lions football team for two seasons. Freiermuth also has great size at his position at 6’5”, and could become a factor in the red zone.
2021 NFL Draft Prospect Profile: Pat Freiermuth’s weaknesses
Freiermuth’s strength might also be his weakness in some regard. Because he doesn’t do one thing spectacularly, he’ll need to do a bunch of things consistently well to be a factor on the field.
While Freirmuth does have potential as a pass catcher, it takes him time to reach his peak speed at the second level. Quarterbacks usually don’t have plenty of time to wait for a play to develop, so Freiermuth will need to get better at getting open quicker in the NFL.
Additionally, another critique of Freiermuth’s game is that he’s not always reliable at the point of attack. To finish a block with authority, tight ends and linemen need to engage their opponents with strength upon initial engagement.
Freiermuth will need to be more consistent in bringing force to his initial contact with the defender to improve as a blocker at the next level.
Also check out: Complete 2018 NFL Draft Results
