Tim Benz: What's not to like about Steelers' Pat Freiermuth pick, other than he's not a lineman?

I can hear the calls from the capacity crowd of Steelers fans at Heinz Field already.

Well, assuming capacity crowds are allowed back in the fall.

“MUUUUUUTH!”

Eh, who am I kidding? They’ll still be yelling, “HEEEAAATTTH!”

I’ve got little to complain about when it comes to Steelers second-round draft choice Pat Freiermuth. The Penn State tight end was projected by some to be a Heath Miller-type tight end long before the Steelers drafted him. He’s illustrated the good receiving skills and some blocking ability on the Big Ten level to warrant those projections.

“I’m a versatile tight end,” Freiermuth said Friday night. “I’ll stick my face in and block defensive ends. And I’ll go out there and make some plays in the passing game. Whatever I’m asked to do.”

Freiermuth left Happy Valley with 92 career catches for 1,185 yards in only 30 games. He is the record-holder for career touchdown receptions by a tight end (16).

It needs to be seen if his willingness to block will translate in the NFL, but Freiermuth feels as if he started to blossom in that capacity during his junior season in State College.

“This past year I put it all together,” Freiermuth said. “I showed I could block with the best of the defensive ends in pass protection, and I could go out there and make plays (catching passes) in man and zone.”

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Freiermuth said he was used largely as a blocker and red zone target in his freshman year, and Steelers tight ends coach Alfredo Roberts sees a good platform from which to build as a blocker.

“I think he has some natural knee bend and some pad-level things that he does easily now,” Roberts said. “You just accentuate those things that he does well, and the things that he needs to (improve) on, we’ll figure out a way to get those things better.”

But let’s forget the second tight end’s ability to block for a moment. What about that of the entire offensive line? Three opening-day starters from 2020 are gone. Maurkice Pouncey retired. Alejandro Villanueva wasn’t retained after his contract expired. And Matt Feiler signed a contract with the Los Angeles Chargers.

A fourth player up front, Zach Banner, is coming off of ACL surgery and will be going through his first full year as a starter. As will projected left guard Kevin Dotson.

Freiermuth has lots of upside and fills a need. After all, Vance McDonald retired last year. And a clear second tight end to pair with starter Eric Ebron didn’t exist on the current roster.

Not to mention that Ebron has four voidable years on his restructured contract after 2021. So if Freiermuth develops, he could soon find himself as the starter at the position.

But who is going to start at center? And are Banner and Chuks Okorafor worthy of being full-time starters at tackle?

The Steelers got the player largely perceived to be the best running back in the NFL Draft in Round 1 with Najee Harris. They could’ve also had the most bankable center prospect in Oklahoma’s Creed Humphrey after no players were selected at the position in the first round.

But they passed on him for Freiermuth at No. 23 in the second round. Humphrey eventually got drafted eight picks later by the defending AFC champion Kansas City Chiefs, one pick after the Green Bay Packers selected another center, Ohio State’s Josh Meyers.

The perceived best player at the position was Alabama’s Landon Dickerson. He was a massive injury risk though, given a litany of ankle and knee ailments during his time in college. But Dickerson was chosen as the fifth pick in the second round by Philadelphia.

Eventually, the Steelers did take Kendrick Green in the third round. He had 29 starts at guard and four at center while playing at Illinois. He appears to have good upside at the center position, but he may not be starting-capable coming out of his rookie training camp.

So instead of taking the best prospects at running back and center in the draft, general manager Kevin Colbert took the best back and the second-best tight end prospect.

Not bad. I like Freiermuth’s potential a lot as well as his ability to help this year.

I just hope that the offensive line blocks well enough that Harris has a few holes to run through and quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has longer than 2.2 seconds to find Freiermuth or any of his other eligible receivers.

I have my doubts.