The Pittsburgh Steelers have tried to upgrade at wide receiver this offseason, but they’ve come up short. While they traded for DK Metcalf, they still lack a proven No. 2 receiver. That problem plagued them last year as well. However, they could use a different position to fill that void. The Steelers have four tight ends on their roster, and Aaron Rodgers is very high on all of them.
“It’s the best tight end room I’ve been around in 21 years,” Rodges said Wednesday via the team’s website. “We have four extremely capable guys. We had different runs in Green Bay where we had some great players, but just the depth that we have here with four guys who you feel great about having on the field at any time. They all have different skill sets they bring to the table.”
The Steelers’ tight end group consists of Pat Freiermuth, Jonnu Smith, Darnell Washington, and Connor Heyward. Like Rodgers says, all of them are unique and have their own different strengths.
Of that group, Freiermuth has been with the Steelers the longest. Drafted in the second round in 2021, he’s become a reliable weapon in the Steelers’ offense. Freiermuth is a solid receiving threat, posting over 600 yards and seven touchdowns last year. He’s good at finding the soft spot in opposing defenses and battling for yards with the ball in his hand.
Similarly, Smith is a much better receiver than he is a blocker. The Steelers could even line him up at slot receiver if they want. He’s been in the league since 2017, spending a number of years with Arthur Smith. Last year was his best NFL season, catching 88 passes for 884 yards and eight touchdowns. Smith is great at creating yards after the catch and should be a real weapon in Pittsburgh’s passing attack.
While Freiermuth and Smith are at the top of the Steelers’ depth chart at tight end, Washington might have the most potential of any of them. He’s a unique specimen with rare size for the position. There’s even been some speculation that he could eventually move to offensive tackle.
Washington hasn’t broken out as a receiver yet, but he’s been working hard to get better. If he does improve, he could become a major threat for the Steelers. He’s already a solid blocker, which makes him valuable in their system.
Meanwhile, Heyward receives the least amount of buzz out of those four players, but he shouldn’t be overlooked. He’s a versatile weapon who can line up at multiple positions, also being solid on special teams. He doesn’t catch a ton of passes, but his teammates, including Rodgers, have singled him out for being an important part of their team.
For a player as experienced as Rodgers, it’s high praise for him to say that the Steelers’ tight end room is the best that he’s played with in his long career. Arthur Smith’s offense heavily utilizes tight ends, so all four should have chances to make an impact. That should help the Steelers cover up their weakness at wide receiver.
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