2021 NFL Draft tight end rankings: Kyle Pitts leads the way

2. Pat Freiermuth, Penn State

6-foot-5, 258 pounds
2021 NFL Draft grade: Second round

While Penn State’s Pat Freiermuth season might not have ended the way he wanted it to, as he suffered a season-ending injury in November, he still had a productive season. In just four games, he caught 23 passes for 310 yards. He also had an overall outstanding college career as he holds the Penn State record for touchdowns from a tight end with 16 and accounted for over 1,000 yards receiving in his career.

When watching him the first thing that stands out is how physical of a player he is. He routinely runs over defenders when the ball is in his hands and can fight through traffic to make the catch. He is also a physical blocker and is underrated in this area overall. Another positive with him is his terrific hands. He rarely drops a ball and is a great target in the intermediate passing game.

While Freiermuth might be a more complete tight end than Kyle Pitts, he is nowhere near the playmaker Pitts is. This is due to the fact he lacks the game-breaking speed or the overall athletic ability Pitts poses. While I am higher on him as a blocker than most people, he does need to do a better job of staying on his blocks.

Overall, I see Freiermuth becoming a solid number two tight end in the NFL. He is someone who can help out in the passing game and running game as a blocker. This is definitely the type of prospect worth a second-round pick.