Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth almost became a Jacksonville Jaguar in the 2021 NFL draft. He told Adam Breneman on his new podcast that Jacksonville called him on Day 2 of the draft, saying it would take him in the second round.
“I really thought I was gonna go to Jacksonville really with [my former tight ends coach Tyler Bowen],” Freiermuth said. “They called me and they were like, ‘Hey, we’re going to draft you at this spot (45).”
Freiermuth wasn’t the only one who thought the pairing would happen as many fans connected the dots and several mock drafts sent him to the Jags, too. After all, Bowen, who Urban Meyer hired last February, coached Freiermuth dating back to his time as a freshman at Penn State.
However, the Jags ultimately took former Stanford offensive tackle Walker Little with their pick in the second round.
Freiermuth added that he thought he was going to the Tennessee Titans after the Jags went in another direction. However, they also took a left tackle and selected Dillon Radunz of North Dakota State.
That allowed the Steelers to take him two picks later. He finished his rookie season, hauling in 60 catches for 497 yards and seven touchdowns while averaging 8.3 yards per catch.
Freiermuth finally said that he’s thankful that he didn’t end up with the Jaguars.
It’s hard to not blame him after the dysfunctional season the franchise had under former head coach Urban Meyer. The Jaguars finished 3-14 and hold the No. 1 overall pick for the second straight draft.
However, it’s also a shame Jacksonville didn’t select him because Freiermuth was considered the second-best tight end in last year’s class behind former Florida star Kyle Pitts and the organization desperately needed a player like him.