Since being drafted by the Steelers in 2021, tight end Pat Freiermuth has been one of the most reliable players at any position the team has had in over a decade.
After setting career highs in receptions, receiving yards, and yards per reception in 2022, one would have assumed that Freiermuth's productivity would have increased in 2023. Instead, all of Freiermuth's numbers took a major dip, and injuries played a major role in this. As easy as it would be for me to cast blame on former offensive coordinator Matt Canada, the fact is that Canada was the offensive coordinator that season when he set all those career marks. Injuries and questionable quarterback play were also contributing factors to Freiermuth's decrease in production.
This season, however, brings a renewed sense of optimism. Aside from the fact that he will have proven and accomplished quarterback Russell Wilson at the helm, he will also have his new offensive coordinator, Arthur Smith, calling the shots. For those of you unfamiliar with Smith, he was the offensive coordinator for the Tennessee Titans for two seasons before becoming the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons in 2021. In that time, the Titans offense became one of the best in the NFL, turning running Derrick Henry into a perennial All-Pro player and quarterback Ryan Tannehill into a respectable quarterback. Most important, his addition means that Freiermuth is going to be targeted often, being that Smith's offenses are predicated by both tight end and running play.
On this occasion, we are going to look at Freiermuth's value heading into this season. What I found was that despite the decrease in productivity, his efficiency was still above average, which bodes well for him.
Efficiency Highlight - High True Catch Rate
Now, a lot of people will argue that the actual catch rate is a statistic more suited for fantasy football. However, this concept is designed to account for catchable targets. Consider this: should a pass catcher lose out on a poorly-thrown pass?
If there is any reason why Freiermuth needs to be targeted for more offense, it's because of his true catch rate. His mark of 91.4% was one of the highest among pass catchers with 40 or more targets. What it means is simple: if a ball goes in his direction, it is almost guaranteed to be a reception; all you have to do is re-watch his Week 12 performance against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Efficiency Highlight - Dominator Rating And Drops
According to playerprofiler.com, the dominator rating pertains to the percentage of a team receiving production from a pass catcher. Taking into consideration that Freiermuth had a hamstring injury that resulted in him missing five games last season, he still posted a 16.2% dominator rating, placing him in the top 20 in that category. To put this into perspective, his teammate, George Pickens, posted the team's highest dominator rating at 35.9%. Had Freiermuth been healthy for those five weeks, that number could have been greatly reduced.
When looking at his drops, this should not come as a surprise to anyone. Even in 2022, he registered just four drop passes on 98 targets. As I noted at the beginning, Freiermuth is one of the most reliable players in the league. One can be assured that an increase in targets this season won't change that.
Overall, we have not yet seen the best of Freiermuth. The only thing that can impede his true success is his overall health. Aside from this, I believe that if the offense does what we believe it can do, he could potentially take his place among the top five tight ends in the NFL.
Comments