2021 NFL Draft scouting report: Penn State TE Pat Freiermuth

With the 2020 NFL Draft completed, we take a deeper look at top tight end prospect, Pat Freiermuth, a potential first-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.

Massachusetts native, Pat Freiermuth was a highly recruited tight end prospect after playing both tight end and linebacker in high school. Freiermuth spent a year as a postgraduate student before committing to Penn State over Ohio State and Notre Dame, amongst other programs. Freiermuth made and immediate impact with the Nittany Lions during his 2018 freshman year, making an appearance in all 13 games.

Pat Freiermuth recorded his first career reception in the 2018 victory over Pitt and would later record his first career touchdown in the Friday night win at Illinois. Freiermuth had his breakout game of his freshman campaign, catching three passes for 44 yards and a touchdown in the loss to Ohio State.

Following a loss to Kentucky in the Citrus Bowl, Freiermuth completed his first year with the Nittany Lions recording 26 receptions for 368 yards and led Big Ten tight ends with eight touchdowns.

Freiermuth followed his impressive freshman season with another strong year this past fall. I Week 2 against Buffalo, he set his career-high in receptions with eight catches for 99 yards and 2 touchdowns. His three touchdowns against Michigan State were vital in the Nittany Lions 28-7 win over the Spartans, their first in three seasons.

Freiermuth also set a career-high in yards in a game, account for 101 yards on seven receptions in the loss to Minnesota. Freiermuth finished the season earning second-team All-Big Ten honors.

After his year as a postgrad and two years in State College, Freiermuth decided to return to Penn State for his junior year and once again looks to be one of the nation’s top tight ends.

Freiermuth enters the season carrying a 25 game streak with a reception and his 15 touchdowns put him tied with Mike Gesicki as the program’s all-time leader in touchdown receptions for a tight end. With the departure of K.J. Hamler, Freiermuth is the leading returned in receptions, yards, and touchdowns.

Hamler’s departure opens the door for Freiermuth to increase his presence in new offensive coordinator, Kirk Ciarrocca’s offense. Despite a strong 2019 season, Freiermuth was often underutilized in short-yardage and goal-line situations. Given his blend of size and speed, he creates a mismatch for college linebackers and defensive backs.

While Ciarrocca’s tight ends only accounted for 10 receptions in a powerful Minnesota passing attack, it is hard to imagine Freiermuth not lining up often as a receiver. If Sean Clifford comes close to replicating Tanner Morgan‘s output of over 3,200 yards in 2019, Freiermuth will likely play a big role in the passing game.

Name: Pat Freiermuth
Age: 21 (10/25/1998)
School: Penn State
Height: 6-foot-5
Weight: 256 pounds

Measurements come via Sports Reference. 

2019 Stats: 43 receptions, 507 yards, 7 touchdowns

Strengths

Pat Freiermuth possesses the favorable measurements making him a good pick at the ever-changing tight end position for any NFL team. At 6-foot-5, Freiermuth has the size and frame required to be a top-end NFL tight end. While Freiermuth is known as a pass-catcher he is an underrated run blocker and is not a liability like many other NFL tight ends, allowing him to be on the field for any situation.

Freiermuth is tremendously versatile and his combination of size and acceleration can create a mismatch against almost any defender. Freiermuth has better hands than most receivers and can pull down just about any catch.

He makes overthrown balls look easy to bring in and can finish the catch with multiple defenders on him at a similar level to Rob Gronkowski. Freiermuth may be most dangerous in the open field as he can both trample and hurdle defenders. With 15 touchdowns through just two seasons, Freiermuth clearly has a nose for the end zone.

Weaknesses

It is difficult to find many weaknesses in Freiermuth’s game that could hold him back at the next level. At 6-foot-5, Freiermuth has the frame to add additional weight to measure up closer to the Travis Kelce mold. Although it has not been a concern at the college level, Freiermuth could benefit from the additional weight when lining up against NFL defenders. Freiermuth’s looks to most benefit on improving his fundamentals as a third-year starter with the Nittany Lions.

Freiermuth is a versatile receiver and has the talent to line up at just about any position as a college tight end. An increased role in Kirk Ciarrocca’s offense should allow Freiermuth to improve footwork and his route running. As the leading returning receiver, Freiermuth should see an increase in production during the 2020 season.

Overall Projection

Pat Freiermuth wasted no time letting James Franklin and staff know he would return to State College for his junior season. While he could have been the first tight end selected in the 2020 NFL Draft, it appears he made the correct decision to return to college as no tight ends were selected in the first round. Freiermuth should be considered the best all-purpose tight end entering the 2020 season and projects to be a first-rounder in the 2021 NFL Draft.

Given his versatility, Freiermuth should contend with Kyle Pitts of Florida as the first tight end selected and looks to go somewhere between the 15-20 range.

While it is a stretch handing a Rob Gronkowski player comparison to anyone in the college ranks, Freiermuth does look to bring a similar level of play to the NFL. Nicknamed “Baby Gronk”, Freiermuth looks to find greater success in the NFL than in college and should immediately make an impact as a featured target. With good size and reliable hands, Freiermuth would be a great pick for a franchise looking to add weapons around a young quarterback.