With just two weeks until the Pittsburgh Steelers report to Saint Vincent College ahead of yet another training camp on the hallowed grounds in the rolling hills of Latrobe, they have one pressing concern on both sides of the football that appears won’t be addressed anytime soon.
Of course, I’m talking about WR2 on offense and slot cornerback on defense in light of the Cameron Sutton suspension.
While both remain holes, the Steelers at least appear to have internal options to throw at them entering training camp, especially at slot cornerback with the likes of veterans Grayland Arnold and Josiah Scott. At receiver, veterans like Van Jefferson, Quez Watkins and Scotty Miller are options, too.
For The Athletic’s Mark Kaboly though, tight end Pat Freiermuth is “definitely the guy” at least right now who will fill the WR2 role in the Steelers’ offense under new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith.
“Right now he is definitely the guy. I mean he had an instant connection with Russell Wilson and OTAs training camp. I think he went out to San Diego and threw with him a little bit,” Kaboly said during an appearance on the 93.7 The Fan Morning Show Tuesday. “Russell likes to throw the ball underneath [with] short, quick passes. Freiermuth is extremely talented. He just has had some bad luck staying healthy. If he’s able to stay healthy, yeah, I could see him really opening up a lot.
“I know Russell Wilson doesn’t like to throw to the middle of the field. That’s what the analytics say. But if Pat Freiermuth is open in the middle of the field, I’m sure Russell Wilson’s talented enough to throw him the ball there. So that might be their saving grace right now, if Freiermuth turns into that guy that he looked like he was going to be and has the ability to be. Then, all of a sudden that takes a lot of pressure off of guys like Roman Wilson and guys like Calvin Austin, Van Jefferson, Quez Watkins, and you can go down the line about 15 other ones. But yeah, Freiermuth’s a big key, too.”
Third-year man George Pickens is very clearly the WR1 on the Steelers’ roster, but there is a concern about WR2 behind him, even with veteran talents like Jefferson, Watkins and Miller. None of those guys truly project as a true WR2 though, which has raised concerns.
Fortunately, in Smith’s offense, the tight end will be utilized heavily. That bodes well for Freiermuth should he be able to stay healthy.
Throughout the offseason, Freiermuth looked like a “significant playmaker” in Smith’s offense, taking advantage of the expanded opportunities in the passing game at the tight end position.
Based on the TE usage study from Jeremy Pike for Steelers Depot, TEs saw a target share of between 26% and 34% in Atlanta under Smith. Last season alone, tight ends Kyle Pitts and Jonnu Smith both had 50-plus receptions and more 580 yards, finding the end zone three times each as well.
There will be plenty of opportunities for Freiermuth under Smith, assuming the fourth-year tight end can stay healthy in 2024. If he’s on the field, production should not be a problem whatsoever for the Penn State product, which should help elevate his game back into the top 8-10 at the position. That, in turn, would help the Steelers in a major way, answering some of those concerns about WR2 in a new offense.
