There has been a lot made of the pass catchers on the Pittsburgh Steelers heading into training camp. Many people believe that the team should be looking to add another wide receiver to the mix.
Their No. 1 receiver is currently slated to be George Pickens. But, after trading Diontae Johnson to the Carolina Panthers and releasing Allen Robinson, there remains a void at the No. 2 spot.
Pittsburgh has plenty of options to turn to. They took a quantity-over-quality approach, adding Quez Watkins, Cordarrelle Patterson, Scott Miller, Marquez Callaway and Van Jefferson in free agency.
In the 2024 NFL Draft, a third-round pick was used on Roman Wilson out of Michigan. The Steelers also have Calvin Austin III, a fourth-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft out of Memphis.
Depth certainly won’t be a problem, as the Pittsburgh Steelers have plenty of options to turn to. If they don’t pull off a trade for an established veteran to pair with Pickens, someone from that group will be relied upon to step up.
Alas, part of the reason there isn’t urgency to add another wide receiver could be because of tight end Pat Freiermuth. The fourth-year Penn State product has been a standout for the team this offseason.
In a recent piece over at ESPN, Brooke Pryor spoke about how good Freiermuth has looked. She named him as the Pittsburgh Steelers player who surprised the most during minicamp.
“Arthur Smith’s offense is a tight end’s dream, and it’s already waking up Freiermuth from a nightmare of a 2023 season. Hampered by a nagging hamstring injury and playing in a disjointed offense, Freiermuth had a career-low 32 catches for 308 yards, less than half of his output from 2022. But the 2021 second-round pick is poised for a resurgence with a new quarterback and offensive coordinator, and he showed early signs of good chemistry with quarterback Russell Wilson through offseason workouts. The Steelers don’t have a solid WR2 option, but that might not matter as much if Freiermuth continues on the kind of upward trajectory he established this offseason.”
2024 is a big season for Pat Freiermuth. He is playing out the final season on his rookie contract and will be looking to cash in during the 2025 NFL offseason.
If he can stay on the field in 2024, he has a chance to put up some big numbers. There is certainly a path to where he is the No. 2 target in the passing game behind Pickens.
Quarterbacks Russell Wilson and Justin Fields should be major upgrades under center. Both have had success with tight ends in previous stops, and has Pryor noted, Wilson is already showing chemistry with his new TE1.
Freiermuth has found success as a pro, as he caught 10 touchdowns from Ben Roethlisberger as a rookie. With Darnell Washington as a devastating blocker in the running game, Freiermuth could be made into more of a pass-catching weapon in 2024.
Want the latest NFL analysis, breaking news, and insider information? Click here. Interested in reading storylines and analysis about the NBA? Check out our partner NBA Analysis Network.
