The Pittsburgh Steelers are gearing up for the upcoming training camp at Saint Vincent College on July 23, with a focus on their tight end position. The team recently bolstered this area by acquiring Jonnu Smith from Miami, alongside cornerback Jalen Ramsey.
Jonnu Smith, who is 30 years old, was selected for his first Pro Bowl last season after achieving career-high statistics of 88 receptions for 884 yards and eight touchdowns from 111 targets. In Miami, he was a key receiving option behind Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. This move reunites him with Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, under whom he played previously in Tennessee and Atlanta. During those seasons, Smith recorded a total of 126 catches for 1,469 yards and 14 touchdowns.
Arthur Smith’s strategy heavily involves utilizing tight ends; the Steelers led the NFL last season with three-tight-end formations in terms of snaps. They also employed two-tight-end packages extensively. In the previous season under Arthur Smith’s coordination, the team’s tight ends received more attention, catching a total of 96 passes for 933 yards and scoring ten touchdowns.
Pat Freiermuth emerged as a leading figure among the tight ends last year with his efficient performance of 65 catches resulting in 653 yards and seven touchdowns from just 78 targets. With Aaron Rodgers now as quarterback, expectations are high for Freiermuth to continue delivering strong performances.
Following George Pickens’ trade to the Cowboys post-NFL Draft, both Freiermuth and Jonnu Smith are expected to play crucial roles as pass-catching options alongside new acquisition DK Metcalf.
Darnell Washington has shown promise as a dual-threat player since being drafted in the third round in 2023. Last season he made strides in both blocking and receiving aspects of his game. His development has been noted by Rodgers during minicamp: “I told Darnell I haven’t had a tight end like him since Marcedes (Lewis). And Marcedes, all-time great.”
Connor Heyward remains an important asset despite seeing reduced involvement as a receiver last year compared to previous seasons but continues contributing significantly on special teams.
The competition within the group sees veteran Donald Parham sidelined due to an Achilles’ tendon injury sustained during OTAs which opens opportunities for undrafted rookie JJ Galbreath from South Dakota who had an impressive college career earning FCS All-America status.
