Darnell Washington Is Giving Off ‘Steal Of the Draft’ Vibes
Photo Credit: Joshua L. Jones via USA TODAY Sports
From the highlight-reel catches to winning one-on-one blocking battles with T.J. Watt, Pittsburgh Steelers rookie tight end Darnell Washington has been showing off his freakish skillset and athleticism in training camp. He’s fast on track to become the Steelers’ most impactful rookie this season.
After being a part of two National Championship-winning teams at Georgia, Washington was selected by the Steelers in the third round of this year’s draft. At 6’7” and 265 lbs., you’d think Washington should have been playing power forward for the Bulldogs. But it’s that size and athleticism that makes him so valuable to the Steelers.
Washington’s addition gives the Steelers a one-two punch at tight end that the league hasn’t seen since Tom Brady was throwing to both Aaron Hernandez and Rob Gronkowski in New England.
But, wait — is this too much hype for a prospect that hasn’t even played a single preseason game yet? Perhaps.
But it’s hard not to buy in at this point. Head coach Mike Tomlin likes what he’s seen from the Georgia product so far.
“(He’s) very coachable and very competitive,” Tomlin said after a practice on Sunday. “He likes to work and there’s been good reviews in that regard.”
On Patrick Peterson and Bryant McFadden’s All Things Covered podcast, Washington explained why he didn’t think Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce was among the top tight ends in the history of the game, saying that he thinks of Kelce as more of a “big receiver.”
This is exactly what Washington can be for the Steelers — a big receiver.
During reps and drills in camp on Tuesday, Washington lined up out wide for a play. He ran a fade route and Mitchell Trubisky hit him over the top for a leaping catch over James Pierre.
“It really just helps trying to create separation,” Washington said during a post-practice press availability on Sunday. “Most nickels are faster than me, so I’m not really going to outrun them. So I really have to use my size to my advantage or just high point the ball and things like that — just having strong, physical hands to finish the catch.”
Not only has Washington been elite with big plays over the top, but his blocking off the line has stood out too. Most scouting reports had Washington as the best blocking tight end available in the draft. Judging from the tape at Georgia, it’s not hard to see why.
“That’s where I have to use my length to my advantage,” Washington said about his blocking on Sunday. “That’s me putting my hands on them first. With the first initial contact, I still have to stay low — at least low to me, I’m not going to get lower than a 5’8” dude — and really just dig and put (my) cleats in the ground and keep (my) feet moving. That’s how I have to do it since I’m so much taller than a lot of other guys.”
Pay no attention to the fact that Washington was listed as the fourth-string tight end on the depth chart that the Steelers released on Aug. 6, behind TE1 Pat Freiermuth, backup Zach Gentry, and third-stringer Connor Heyward.
None of the rookies were listed in any of the team’s starting positions. It’s apparent that the Steelers’s coaching staff is making the newbies earn their spot.
Once preseason games begin this week when the Steelers venture to Tampa to play the Buccaneers, and Washington shows what he can do against opposing defenses, he’ll rocket up the depth chart alongside Freiermuth. The pair will do significant damage this season for quarterback Kenny Pickett.
“(Washington) is a guy that I don’t have a lot of reps with (yet),” Pickett said during a media availability last week. “So I want to continue to build that with him. When we get down in the red zone, I think he’ll be huge there.
“Darnell is doing a great job. He’s working hard and he’s got a lot of stuff going in, so I’m sure his mind is going 100 mph, but it’ll slow down for him. I’m just excited the way he’s showing up and working. You know he’s mentally locked in, so everything else will come.”
Who knows? Washington’s emergence could allow for Freiermuth to blossom as well into one of the best tight ends in the league.
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