There may not be a hotter player over the past week of training camp for the Pittsburgh Steelers than rookie TE Darnell Washington, at least in terms of impact per opportunity. He’s scored four touchdowns since the Steelers put the pads on for the first time in their fifth practice, and he has impressed in the manner in which he uses his size to do so.
You won’t find the coaches surprised, however. That’s what they anticipated they would see out of him, never pigeonholing him as just a blocker, even if that is going to be a critical component of what they will ask him to do in their offense. But with that body and that drive, they’re not concerning themselves with placing limitations on their expectations.
“He’s getting better. He’s learning”, assistant general manager Andy Weidl told reporters on Wednesday via the team’s website. “Some of the things he can do others just can’t with that size and that strength and the length and the athleticism that he has. That’s natural. He’s 21 years old. We think the ceiling’s high and he’s just gonna continue to get better”.
At 6-foot-7 and certainly over his listed weight of 264 pounds, the third-round pick out of Georgia used the four-day acclimation period that opens training camp to get acclimated, fittingly enough. He seemed to become a different player when the pads first came on, however, in that fifth practice.
That’s too simplistic a description of what actually happened, but I certainly think the physicality that comes with padded practices is a component of that. He understands that physicality is a key element of his game. He probably found a level of confidence in that environment, which should continue to carry over with pads or without moving forward.
Washington is in much the same boat as all of his rookie teammates, however: none of them are genuinely needed right now. Even first-round OT Broderick Jones and second-round CB Joey Porter Jr. may not enter the year as full-time starters though in the case of the latter, he’s bound at least to be the nickel defender.
DL Keeanu Benton, their other second-round pick, is another very talented rookie who may spend time on the bench to start his career. As for Washington, he is in a position group that already includes Pat Freiermuth, Zach Gentry, and Connor Heyward.
But, as Weidl said, there are things that he can do with that body and athleticism and physicality that others cannot, and that includes everybody else in that tight end room—everybody else on the team. Few players in the league have his combination of attributes.
It’s something the Steelers scouted him for, Weidl referencing their interest in players who offer something unique. Washington fits the bill on paper and is looking more and more likely to bring it to the field with each practice. He’ll have a big opportunity tonight in the preseason opener to show that he can do it in a live situation as well.
