2021 NFL Draft: Pat Freiermuth’s game similar to certain Colts tight end

Scouting the NFL Draft often leads to player comps, and there’s an obvious one for 2021 NFL Draft TE Pat Freiermuth.

As the page turns and we head into scouting for the 2021 NFL Draft, one thing has become abundantly clear: the tight end class is so much better than last year’s. There are legitimate first-round talents in the class, one of whom is Penn State’s Pat Freiermuth. Freiermuth had the option to declare early for the 2020 draft but decided to return to school for another season.

Freiermuth would likely want to develop even more in 2020, but even if there is no season, he could find himself going in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft.

One fun aspect of scouting is finding similarities between prospects and players in the NFL. It helps to identify similarities to figure out what role a player could have at the next level. Friermuth’s game is well-rounded, just like a certain tight end on the Indianapolis Colts: Jack Doyle, who’s often underrated when it comes to tight ends.

Both players show an ability to affect the running game in a positive way, holding their own as blockers with good balance, technique, and power. Tight ends who can be relied on in the run game make an impact early on in the NFL.

As receivers, the similarities only grow. Freiermuth has often been described as a matchup nightmare for opposing defenses and has been moved around the formation, from inline to out wide. Like Doyle, Freiermuth has strong hands and the frame to secure the football through contact and shield defenders.

Both Doyle and Freiermuth possess technical details as route runners too. Doyle is very savvy, manipulating defenders with his head and shoulders, and is a solid enough athlete to create that separation. Freiermuth will likely test better with workout metrics, but he’s also a technician now in his own right, being able to create separation up the seam in the middle of the field and on the perimeter. He can find the soft spot in the defense and shows it routinely on tape.

Are comparisons always perfect? Of course not. But, from this analyst’s eyes, Doyle and Freiermuth share a lot of positive traits in their games. Freiermuth has a chance to be just as (if not more) successful in the future.