New England Patriots full 2021 NFL mock draft
By Nick Villano
2nd Round
Scouting Report. Pick Analysis. TE. 47. Penn State University. Pat Freiermuth. 46. player
Two-straight Penn State players for the Patriots? If any team is going to do it, it would be the Patriots. They always take a very interesting approach to the NFL Draft, and while often it crashes and burns, this could work out swimmingly.
Pat Freiermuth is a freak athlete that could both block and catch balls in coverage. He’s probably the best blocking tight end in the whole draft. He’s able to get inside on edge defenders to give an extra second for his running backs to make a cut outside. Belichick loves a player who does things that don’t show up on box scores. Freiermuth is the kind of tight end that works in the Patriots offense.
The Patriots spent two picks on tight ends last season, but Devin Asiasi and Dalton Keene left a lot to be desired last season. Ryan Izzo ended up being the top tight end in the offense, and he finished the season with less than 200 yards receiving and no touchdowns. No matter who ends up being the quarterback in the Patriots offense, Freiermuth would be a must-hit target as soon as they arrive.
Freiermuth is from Masschusetts, and he actually embraces the comparisons to Rob Gronkowski. His ability to score touchdowns is something the Patriots have sorely needed over the past few seasons. He scored 16 touchdowns for the Nittany Lions, which was a school record for tight ends. This is quickly going to be the Patriots’ fans favorite offensive player.