If there is one thing that is certain in the new offense of the Pittsburgh Steelers under coordinator Arthur Smith, outside of running the football at a high clip, it’s that the tight ends will be heavily involved, especially in the passing game.
Fortunately for the Steelers, their tight ends room is rather strong top to bottom. It features a good blend of players who bring a different element to the table, creating a deep, strong room for quarterbacks Russell Wilson and Justin Fields to work with.
Speaking with reporters Wednesday following the second minicamp practice, Fields — who loves to utilize the tight end in the passing game and had a strong rapport with Cole Kmet in Chicago — praised the Steelers’ tight end room for adjusting to the scheme under Smith.
“Yeah, we have a lot of different guys inside the room,” Fields said, according to video via the Steelers’ YouTube page. “Darnell [Washington], he brings size to the room. Rodney [Williams], speed. Connor [Heyward], he has a great awareness in the field. Pat [Freiermuth], of course, he’s a great all-around tight end. And then, [MyCole] Pruitt, he’s a vet, he’s smart. He knows what he’s doing.
“So, just all the guys in the room, they’re smart and attentive and, I feel, they’ve adjusted to the offense well.”
Adjusting to a new offensive scheme can be difficult, especially with as many new faces as the Steelers have on offense. But the scheme is tight end friendly, and the Steelers have plenty of talent at the position to make that transition easier than usual.
Under Smith, the tight ends should be heavily utilized. Pat Freiermuth has already turned heads this offseason and is viewed as a potential “significant playmaker” in the Steelers’ offense under Smith, while many expect Washington to take a major step forward as a receiving option after being a blocking tight end as a rookie.
Wilson and Fields both like to utilize the tight end, but Fields much more than usual. Last season, Fields targeted a tight end on 24.5 percent of all his throws, which was 15th in the NFL. Wilson was at just 13.5%, which was 47th in the NFL, but he didn’t exactly have good tight ends in Denver. He did in Seattle and utilized them during his time with the Seahawks.
Having that versatility in the tight end room is huge, and it will be very interesting to see how that all translates to the field. Fields sees a great all-around tight end in Freiermuth, has praised Washington’s size multiple times this offseason, and likes Heyward’s awareness in the middle of the field.
No matter who is under center this season for the Steelers, he’ll have security blankets at tight end in the passing game. That will do wonders as the Steelers continue to adjust and learn Smith’s scheme, especially early in the season.
It’s a deep position group, one that is undoubtedly a smart one, too.
