Arizona Cardinals could use second-round pick on tight end

There’s no denying that the front office of the Arizona Cardinals has done a fantastic job this offseason. A plethora of the club’s roster holes have been filled with some very good players. There is one position, however, that has not yet been addressed by Cards general manager Steve Keim.

At the present time, Arizona has just two individuals at the tight end spot who are under contract in 2021. Maxx Williams, a second-round draft pick of the Baltimore Ravens back in 2015, joined the Redbirds two years ago. In 25 appearances for the squad (18 starts), the 26-year old has hauled in just 23 passes for 304 yards and two touchdowns.

The Cardinals other tight end, 25-year old Ian Bunting, has yet to see action in an NFL game. On March 19th, the franchise sat and watched as free agent Dan Arnold signed a two-year deal with the Carolina Panthers. The 6’6, 220 pounder had tallied 31 receptions, 438 receiving yards and four scores for the Cards last fall.

With most of the top free agent options at the position now off of the board, Arizona may have to turn their attention to next month’s draft. While the highly-touted Kyle Pitts is projected to be selected early on in the first round, there’s another intriguing tight end who Keim may have a shot of landing with their second-round choice.

Pat Freiermuth, a 22-year old out of Penn State University, could be there for the Cardinals when the 49th-overall selection rolls around. The Massachusetts native was voted First Team All Big Ten following the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign. In four contests, Freiermuth caught 23 balls for 310 yards and a touchdown for the Nittany Lions.

As a sophomore in 2019, Freiermuth totaled 43 receptions, 507 yards and seven scores in 13 matchups. The season before, as a freshman, the youngster hauled in 26 passes for 368 yards and eight touchdowns in 13 games for Penn State. Besides his obvious skills as a pass-catcher, Freiermuth’s impressive size (6’5, 260) allows him to contribute as a blocker as well.

Freiermuth’s all-around skill-set makes him an excellent fit for head coach Kliff Kingsbury’s “Air Raid” offense. If the Cards are lucky, the talented tight end will still be available for them during the second night of this year’s draft.