As a receiver in the NFL, you are only as good as your ability to get open. I know that there are “contested catch specialists” who seemingly always win 50/50 balls against tight coverage, but even those guys can struggle to consistently come down with difficult grabs in close quarters if they can’t separate from coverage and make open grabs once and a while.
This could be said for Steelers TE Darnell Washington, who is one of the biggest pass catchers in the NFL. Standing 6’7 and nearly 270 pounds, Washington towers over most defenders tasked with covering him, often winning the jump ball battle for catches in the red zone or on possession grabs over the middle in tight coverage.
Still, Washington could take his game to another level with improved route running, being able to create separation so not every catch has to be contested, thus increasing his overall catch percentage and the number of times he gets targeted by the QB. Kansas City’s Travis Kelce is one of the best route runners at the position in the league, drawing targets from Patrick Mahomes at an impressive rate.
However, Washington sees his fellow teammate in a similar light. He talked up Pat Freiermuth’s route running ability after OTA practice Tuesday, saying he tries to watch and build his game off what Freiermuth shows in practice.
“I never really watched the NFL growing up, but when I first saw Pat [Freiermuth], like in-person running his routes… he’s super fluid,” Washington said to the media Tuesday via transcript provided by the team. “That’s like where I want to be as in, in and out of breaks, as in just releasing, as in everything you do when it comes to running routes. So, I was just like, he’s super polished. So, one of the best tight ends that I’ve seen in person run routes. I mean, can you learn that or is that just natural? I feel like it really comes with repetition. The more you do it, the more fluid you are, and just working on getting in and out of my breaks and things like that.”
Freiermuth was a polished pass catcher coming out of Penn State in 2021, excelling on the football field thanks to his ability to win contested catches as well as generate separation from linebackers and defensive backs in coverage. He’s quickly become one of the best TEs in the game just in two seasons, logging 123 receptions for 1,229 yards and nine TDs thus far in his NFL career.
While Washington is a better athlete that some give him credit for, he does come off as more of a lumbering presence on the football field due to his sheer size and lack of overall exposure to the art of route running. Learning from a guy like Freiermuth, who is one of the best route-running TEs in the game will only benefit Washington as he looks to become a well-rounded TE who can dominate in the run game as a blocker, and also put fear into opposing defenses with the mismatch issues he presents as a contested-catch specialist as well as an improving route runner to work the middle of the field.
