When the Pittsburgh Steelers selected TE Darnell Washington in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft, he came in with the reputation as an elite blocking tight end, and it’s one he’s more or less lived up to during his time in Pittsburgh. Washington has been used sparingly in the passing game, although he did catch a touchdown in Week With his 6-7 and 272-pound frame, Washington was asked if he feels like he could play offensive tackle if needed.
“I feel like if I put my mind to it, and [if] that’s what the team needs, I feel like I could,” Washington said via Aaron Becker of Yardbarker on Twitter.
It’s highly unlikely that the Steelers will ask Washington to move to a tackle-only role any time soon, and it would be a longer transition as he’d have to put weight on if that’s really what the team had in store for him. Washington is still viable as a receiver, as evidenced by his touchdown catch against Denver, which showed just how much of a mismatch he is in the red zone.
While he’s a really talented blocker and the Steelers have been hit hard by offensive line injuries, it would be a misutilization at this point to play Washington as purely a tackle, and it doesn’t seem as if he’s really all that serious about the idea either. It would have to be a real emergency situation with the Steelers running out of healthy tackles for things to get to that point.
But it is nice for the Steelers to have someone like Washington who can be such an asset in the run game and an imposing blocker at tight end. The Steelers have a solid receiving tight end in Pat Freiermuth, and Washington adds another dynamic as someone who can be a mauler in the run game and also serve as a threat in the red zone. He probably won’t ever be a true No. 1 tight end, but he’s a great fit for a Steelers team that’s using multiple tight ends often under offensive coordinator Arthur Smith.
While a move to tackle is a fun hypothetical, it’s probably never going to be something the Steelers will do, and it wouldn’t be all that smart to do it, either.
