Former Penn State Football tight end Pat Freiermuth was among the first Nittany Lions to declare for the 2021 NFL Draft, and recent NFL Mock Draft 2021 projections have him hearing his name called early on
Former Penn State Football tight end Pat Freiermuth has drawn some comparison to Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ All-Pro Rob Gronkowski, and while at least one NFL Mock Draft 2021 projection has Freiermuth falling out of the first-round, he just might land with the class’s premier quarterback prospect.
Freiermuth was projected as a second-round pick, No. 33 overall to the Jacksonville Jaguars in Pro Football Network’s latest mock draft projection:
"Selecting tight end Pat Freiermuth in this Jaguars 7-round 2021 NFL Mock Draft makes so much sense. The Penn State pass catcher would be an instant upgrade at the position. Freiermuth would provide value to the Jaguars’ offense in multiple ways.Firstly, Freiermuth gives new quarterback Trevor Lawrence a reliable option in the passing game. Freiermuth has over 1,000 receiving yards and 16 touchdowns from his time at Penn State, with only four games played in 2020.Secondly, Freiermuth is probably the best blocking tight end at the top of the 2021 tight end class. Although the likes of Kyle Pitts are more flashy in the passing game, Freiermuth adds value in pass protection and run blocking that some other tight ends don’t bring to the table."
A potential game-breaker in the passing game, Freiermuth caught 92 passes for 1,185 yards with 16 touchdowns in 29 career games in Happy Valley. There is a chance that Freiermuth is the second tight end to hear his name called in the draft, following Florida’s Kyle Pitts.
The Jaguars’ passing game has some weapons with wide receiver D.J. Chark and running back running back James Robinson in place, but adding Freiermuth to an arsenal built around rookie quarterback Trevor Lawrence could prove to be a formidable offense in the wide open AFC South.