The Pittsburgh Steelers enter 2023 believing that they have put together their strongest tight end room since at least Heath Miller’s last year—and they ought to, considering they have invested in the position through the draft in three straight years, including a pair of Day-Two picks.
The “veteran” of that particular trio—Zach Gentry has been here longer—is Pat Freiermuth, drafted in the second round in 2021. He has caught 123 passes for 1,229 yards and nine touchdowns through his first two seasons. Regarded as one of the up-and-comers at the position, he’s already rubbing off on the younger guys.
That includes Connor Heyward, the tight-end-ish player the Steelers drafted in the sixth round last year. Speaking to Mike Prisuta on the Steelers’ Training Camp Live segment on their website, he said that Freiermuth, a third-year starter, “can do everything” thanks to his versatility.
“He just finds a way to get open and that’s what I’m trying to do”, he said. “I’ve learned a lot from his game, and he’s taught me so much. We’re just playing off each other. When me and Pat are out there, we can do so much, whether that’s running or catching, and it just keeps the defense on their heels”.
Both young tight ends are expected to be a big part of the offense this year. Freiermuth developed into a go-to target for then-rookie QB Kenny Pickett in the second half of last season and should be firmly entrenched as a favorite by now.
Pickett has an even longer history with Heyward, whom he’s said on multiple occasions he attempted to join him at Pitt during college. Heyward’s father, Craig, was one of the most celebrated graduates of that football program, though none of his children elected to attend his alma mater.
Connor spent most of his time at Michigan State as a running back, but moved to tight end for his senior season. In the same interview, when asked what position he would consider himself at this point, the only answer he had was “a football player”.
And he intends for pass-catching to be a key part of what he brings to the table, which may also include running the ball, and should feature blocking in a variety of manners. They’ve asked fullbacks like Roosevelt Nix to in-line block on occasion so I’m sure he won’t be entirely free from that.
Heyward only caught 12 passes during his rookie season, though he only played 174 offensive snaps. He made his targets count, however, accumulating 151 yards with a touchdown. He did show some nifty hands, including on that score, another point of pride in his game.
It’s hard not to be intrigued about how the Steelers plan to employ him this season and with what sort of frequency. One would think that they have enough options between the wide receivers and running backs, not to mention rookie tight end Darnell Washington, that it might be hard to find a regular place for him. But if he has a connection with Pickett, that’s your ticket to ride.
