Spoiler alert: Pittsburgh Steelers rookie tight end Darnell Washington is a large man at 6-foot-7, 270 pounds.
Now that that’s out of the way, we can move on to what third-year offensive coordinator Matt Canada said of the rookie third-round pick Sunday following the Steelers’ practice on Chuck Noll Field.
Coming out of the first preseason game of the year, Canada was rather impressed with Washington’s physicality, especially in the run game.
Utilized as an in-line blocking tight end throughout the Steelers’ 27-17 win, Washington was a force as a blocker, clearing lanes in the run game, performing as advertised, which earned praise from Canada.
“Yeah, happy with Darnell. Obviously coming in first game at this level and his physicality is impressive. Again, he had the one catch, but I think he does a lot for us. His ability to block, block on the edge and do some things will be fun to watch,” Canada said to reporters Sunday, according to video via Steelers.com. “Where again, we’re a long way from everybody, but obviously you talk about Darnell and Broderick [Jones] those young guys, we’ve got a lot of steps to take care with them, but very, very pleased with where we’re at coming out of the game.”
After being drafted out of Georgia, it was well-known what Washington’s calling card at the position was going to be — outside of his size: his in-line blocking. He views himself as a sixth offensive lineman, which endears him to his quarterback, fellow offensive linemen and running backs. He showed that against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in his NFL debut.
Washington played 25 snaps and saw a lot of action in-line. He had one catch for 9 yards, but his greatest impact came as a blocker.
He caved in the left side of the line with left tackle Dan Moore Jr. on the first drive of the game, springing running back Jaylen Warren for a 10-yard gain and was a physical force throughout the night. He was good on the backside of plays when isolated, too, and had some sound cut blocks in the process.
The hulking tight end might not be much of a receiving option outside of the red zone as a rookie, but he’s going to be very, very impactful as a run blocker. That should give the Steelers a bit more flexibility in 12 personnel moving forward.
It was a good start for Washington to his NFL career. In pads, he’s generated quite a bit of attention in training camp. The praise from his offensive coordinator is a good development, too. Washington saw the field early and often on Friday night. Hopefully that continues as he grows into a role offensively.
