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For the first time since the retirement of legendary Pittsburgh Steelers’ tight end Heath Miller in 2015, the team’s tight end room is mostly solidified going into the NFL Draft. With the rise of 2021 rookie tight end Pat Freiermuth as an emerging superstar, and the solid role-playing of fourth-year tight end Zach Gentry during last year’s season, the Steelers have the luxury of only needing to establish a solid third option at the position going into the 2022 season.
The new found stability at the tight end position is a foreign concept for the Steelers for the past seven years since Miller’s retirement being marked by the inability of anyone to catch on as a legit TE1 for the team. On their first attempt to replace Miller, the Steelers turned to former San Diego Chargers TE Ladarius Green, who was ultimately labeled as the worst Steelers free agency signing in five years by ESPN. After a checkered availability history during his one year with the Steelers, he was unceremoniously cut by the team. The Steelers then spent the next handful of years with a varying combination of Vance McDonald, Jesse James, and Xavier Grimble at the position. While that combination did at times work for the team (with the notorious Vance McDonald Monday night stiff arm on Tampa Bay Buccaneers CB Chris Conte coming to mind as a highlight), it yielded mixed success overall.
The Steelers then turned to former Detroit Lions and Indianapolis Colts standout tight end, Eric Ebron, during the 2020 off-season to play beside McDonald. In two seasons with the Steelers, Ebron put up six touchdowns and a little over 600 yards, providing the team with a slight boost, but not really the positional upgrade the team was hoping for.
The string of inconsistency seemingly ended last year with the emergence of Freiermuth and Gentry as a dynamic one-two punch at the position, leaving the Steelers with just one question: Who will their third option at tight end be going forward?
We’ll take a look at a few options through the existing players on the roster, free agency, and the NFL Draft.
The Steelers presently have two options for their TE3 on the roster, 2021 addition Jace Sternberger and a more likely option in longtime practice squad member, Kevin Rader. In two previous seasons with the Green Bay Packers, Sternberger had 12 receptions for 114 yards and a single touchdown. While he has the right size and pedigree to potentially be a legitimate TE3, he in all likelihood tracks to be a solid practice squad option that can hopefully continue to develop as a blocker.
Kevin Rader #87 | Photo via Twitter: @JSKO_PHOTO
Rader, in my view, has a legitimate shot to make the roster as the third tight end option for the team. Coming out of a solid career at Youngstown State, Rader joined the Steelers in 2020 and has appeared in two games for the team. While he has not put up much in the way of stats in his two starts, he has found some staying power on the practice squad, and has been given solid marks for his athletic ability and upside as a blocker.
If Pittsburgh had been in need of a TE1 this off-season, there were options galore in free agency. Early signings included a host of well known free agents such as Austin Hooper, CJ Uzomah, and Evan Engram. With an unusually high number of prominent tight ends reaching free agency this year, the Steelers still have available quality depth to choose from despite the fact that the first wave of signings has long passed. Remaining options include Jimmy Graham, Kyle Rudolph, Tyler Kroft, and the aforementioned Steelers, Eric Ebron and Jesse James. While any of these veteran options would provide quality depth at the tight end position, a name to watch is former Dallas Cowboys’ TE, Blake Jarwin.
Photo via Rich Graessle / Icon Sportswire
At just 27 years old, Jarwin has ample time left in his NFL career, and can likely challenge Gentry for the TE2 spot. Since being signed by the Cowboys in 2017, Jarwin has scored 8 touchdowns and was able to average 203 yards per season in his first two seasons (before seeing a drop off in the 2020 and 2021 seasons). With the Cowboys releasing Jarwin this off-season in advance of the veteran tight end’s hip surgery, the Steelers could safely take a gamble on Jarwin as a third option at the position as he looks to return to his 2019 form. At worst case, Jarwin would be a cheap veteran option to provide some experience to a young tight end room and be a proven pass catcher who can be trusted when called upon.
The Steelers could also pivot towards the draft to find a third tight end, as they did with Freiermuth and Gentry. This year’s draft does seem to have less top-tier talent at the position than last year’s, with no Kyle Pitts-like first round option, and no likely day two option either.
This year, the general consensus is that Trey McBride of Colorado State, Jalen Wydermyer of Texas A&M, and Jeremey Ruckert out of Ohio State are likely to be among the first TEs taken off the board. I think that any of these incoming players would be great options for the Steelers and could be low-risk alternatives to veteran players; however, there’s a more intriguing candidate who has solid NFL bloodlines, a track record of success at the collegiate level, and outstanding positional flexibility.
The Steelers should be looking to draft Michigan State tight end/running back Connor Heyward as their third option at the position. While Heyward does not have the elite size at the position that the other rookie options I’ve outlined do, he has a lot of the qualities the Steelers look for in their depth players. Heyward transitioned from a running back/fullback in his previous four seasons at Michigan State to tight end this year, and spent this past season dialed in on improving his technique at the position. While his current blocking abilities are still developing, Gentry’s continuing development as a capable blocker should allow the Steelers to consider a less traditional option as their third tight end.
Photo via Michael Conroy / AP
Despite seeing his usage rollercoaster throughout his collegiate career, Heyward was able to put up solid stats, racking up 6 receiving and 5 rushing TDs, and had a career average 7.4 yards per reception. Furthermore, Heyward demonstrated clear momentum during his transition from running back to tight end, with his 2021 season being by far his most successful single receiving season at 326 total yards. It’s worth noting that he was able to put up these solid numbers despite the fact that Michigan State had a fairly average offensive season, and Heyward was the fourth option at tight end.
Aside from clearly seeing the value in having brothers on the same team, the Steelers have also emphasized the importance of their depth players being versatile. It’s hard to imagine a player more versatile than Heyward, who can legitimately be used as a fullback, tight end, and running back. Heyward has also been utilized as a special teams player, a kick/punt returner, and even once as a quarterback (he’s 1/1 on a 36-yard completion, for what it’s worth).
By drafting Heyward, the Steelers could fill a clear need at tight end, but also utilize Heyward’s Swiss Army knife-like versatility to help fill the back end of the roster at other positions, freeing them up to acquire more depth elsewhere. All of that, and they wouldn’t have to use an early pick or valuable cap room to do so. Ultimately, while there are ample legitimate options for the Steelers already on the roster, in free agency, and in the draft, at the end of the day, adding Heyward to the team seems to be the solution with the most upside.
What do yinz think, Steeler Nation? Should the Steelers bring Cam Heyward’s brother to Pittsburgh? Would you rather see them go with a more traditional option at tight end? Comment below!
Support SteelerNation by clicking here to read the story..
The new found stability at the tight end position is a foreign concept for the Steelers for the past seven years since Miller’s retirement being marked by the inability of anyone to catch on as a legit TE1 for the team. On their first attempt to replace Miller, the Steelers turned to former San Diego Chargers TE Ladarius Green, who was ultimately labeled as the worst Steelers free agency signing in five years by ESPN. After a checkered availability history during his one year with the Steelers, he was unceremoniously cut by the team. The Steelers then spent the next handful of years with a varying combination of Vance McDonald, Jesse James, and Xavier Grimble at the position. While that combination did at times work for the team (with the notorious Vance McDonald Monday night stiff arm on Tampa Bay Buccaneers CB Chris Conte coming to mind as a highlight), it yielded mixed success overall.
Steelers acquire Eric Ebron
The Steelers then turned to former Detroit Lions and Indianapolis Colts standout tight end, Eric Ebron, during the 2020 off-season to play beside McDonald. In two seasons with the Steelers, Ebron put up six touchdowns and a little over 600 yards, providing the team with a slight boost, but not really the positional upgrade the team was hoping for.
The string of inconsistency seemingly ended last year with the emergence of Freiermuth and Gentry as a dynamic one-two punch at the position, leaving the Steelers with just one question: Who will their third option at tight end be going forward?
We’ll take a look at a few options through the existing players on the roster, free agency, and the NFL Draft.
Existing options on the roster
The Steelers presently have two options for their TE3 on the roster, 2021 addition Jace Sternberger and a more likely option in longtime practice squad member, Kevin Rader. In two previous seasons with the Green Bay Packers, Sternberger had 12 receptions for 114 yards and a single touchdown. While he has the right size and pedigree to potentially be a legitimate TE3, he in all likelihood tracks to be a solid practice squad option that can hopefully continue to develop as a blocker.
Kevin Rader #87 | Photo via Twitter: @JSKO_PHOTO
Rader, in my view, has a legitimate shot to make the roster as the third tight end option for the team. Coming out of a solid career at Youngstown State, Rader joined the Steelers in 2020 and has appeared in two games for the team. While he has not put up much in the way of stats in his two starts, he has found some staying power on the practice squad, and has been given solid marks for his athletic ability and upside as a blocker.
Remaining free agency options
If Pittsburgh had been in need of a TE1 this off-season, there were options galore in free agency. Early signings included a host of well known free agents such as Austin Hooper, CJ Uzomah, and Evan Engram. With an unusually high number of prominent tight ends reaching free agency this year, the Steelers still have available quality depth to choose from despite the fact that the first wave of signings has long passed. Remaining options include Jimmy Graham, Kyle Rudolph, Tyler Kroft, and the aforementioned Steelers, Eric Ebron and Jesse James. While any of these veteran options would provide quality depth at the tight end position, a name to watch is former Dallas Cowboys’ TE, Blake Jarwin.
Photo via Rich Graessle / Icon Sportswire
At just 27 years old, Jarwin has ample time left in his NFL career, and can likely challenge Gentry for the TE2 spot. Since being signed by the Cowboys in 2017, Jarwin has scored 8 touchdowns and was able to average 203 yards per season in his first two seasons (before seeing a drop off in the 2020 and 2021 seasons). With the Cowboys releasing Jarwin this off-season in advance of the veteran tight end’s hip surgery, the Steelers could safely take a gamble on Jarwin as a third option at the position as he looks to return to his 2019 form. At worst case, Jarwin would be a cheap veteran option to provide some experience to a young tight end room and be a proven pass catcher who can be trusted when called upon.
Options in the 2022 NFL Draft
The Steelers could also pivot towards the draft to find a third tight end, as they did with Freiermuth and Gentry. This year’s draft does seem to have less top-tier talent at the position than last year’s, with no Kyle Pitts-like first round option, and no likely day two option either.
This year, the general consensus is that Trey McBride of Colorado State, Jalen Wydermyer of Texas A&M, and Jeremey Ruckert out of Ohio State are likely to be among the first TEs taken off the board. I think that any of these incoming players would be great options for the Steelers and could be low-risk alternatives to veteran players; however, there’s a more intriguing candidate who has solid NFL bloodlines, a track record of success at the collegiate level, and outstanding positional flexibility.
The Steelers should be looking to draft Michigan State tight end/running back Connor Heyward as their third option at the position. While Heyward does not have the elite size at the position that the other rookie options I’ve outlined do, he has a lot of the qualities the Steelers look for in their depth players. Heyward transitioned from a running back/fullback in his previous four seasons at Michigan State to tight end this year, and spent this past season dialed in on improving his technique at the position. While his current blocking abilities are still developing, Gentry’s continuing development as a capable blocker should allow the Steelers to consider a less traditional option as their third tight end.
Photo via Michael Conroy / AP
Despite seeing his usage rollercoaster throughout his collegiate career, Heyward was able to put up solid stats, racking up 6 receiving and 5 rushing TDs, and had a career average 7.4 yards per reception. Furthermore, Heyward demonstrated clear momentum during his transition from running back to tight end, with his 2021 season being by far his most successful single receiving season at 326 total yards. It’s worth noting that he was able to put up these solid numbers despite the fact that Michigan State had a fairly average offensive season, and Heyward was the fourth option at tight end.
Aside from clearly seeing the value in having brothers on the same team, the Steelers have also emphasized the importance of their depth players being versatile. It’s hard to imagine a player more versatile than Heyward, who can legitimately be used as a fullback, tight end, and running back. Heyward has also been utilized as a special teams player, a kick/punt returner, and even once as a quarterback (he’s 1/1 on a 36-yard completion, for what it’s worth).
By drafting Heyward, the Steelers could fill a clear need at tight end, but also utilize Heyward’s Swiss Army knife-like versatility to help fill the back end of the roster at other positions, freeing them up to acquire more depth elsewhere. All of that, and they wouldn’t have to use an early pick or valuable cap room to do so. Ultimately, while there are ample legitimate options for the Steelers already on the roster, in free agency, and in the draft, at the end of the day, adding Heyward to the team seems to be the solution with the most upside.
What do yinz think, Steeler Nation? Should the Steelers bring Cam Heyward’s brother to Pittsburgh? Would you rather see them go with a more traditional option at tight end? Comment below!
Support SteelerNation by clicking here to read the story..
