The Pittsburgh Steelers welcomed the opportunity to draft TE Darnell Washington in 2023. They were surprised that a prospect like him was still available, though they already passed on him multiple times as well. But who is Darnell Washington? Who do they think he is, and who he can be?
The former Georgia Bulldog played 511 snaps on offense last season, but he received just 10 targets, catching seven passes for 61 yards. He wasn’t exactly emulating Travis Kelce, even if head coach Mike Tomlin considered his receiving ability in their pre-draft evaluation. Ray Fittipaldo threw a bucket of water on the notion of Washington ever being more than a blocking tight end, however, in his latest chat session for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
“News flash: Washington was never that type of player and never will be”, he wrote to one reader. “He was drafted to be a blocker, and that’s what he is. He’s not terribly athletic and he has bad knees. He’s not going to be a factor in the passing game”.
Fittipaldo offered an even more interesting remark than just pigeon-holing Washington as a run-blocking tight end. Asked if he was saying that the team wasted a third-round pick on a run-blocking tight end with bad knees, he replied, “I’d say they drafted him knowing he wasn’t a receiving threat and that he likely would never sign a second contract”.
Concern over Washington’s knees was the reason cited by analysts for his fall down draft boards. Who knows how the Steelers felt about that, frankly. But they were the team to draft him, even if he was higher on their own board than where they were able to get him.
In spite of the fact that they talked up his receiving skills, the Steelers didn’t use him that way. According to Pro Football Focus, he only ran routes on 145 snaps with more than two-thirds of his snaps coming on run downs. And this was in an offense with a dearth of production over the middle of the field and in the red zone.
Never sign a second contract? Washington is under contract through 2027. He will be 25 when he is scheduled to hit unrestricted free agency then. The Steelers have committed second contracts to run-blocking tight ends before.
But is Fittipaldo suggesting that the Steelers drafted Washington knowing that he is bound to have a short NFL career because of his knees? Do you really draft a player in the third round with that level of concern? I think you’re still hoping to land long-term starters within the top 100 selections.
Perhaps he’ll never become a bigger threat in the passing game than was Matt Spaeth. But he had a successful rookie season as a run blocker. And he still has room to grow in that area. He is still figuring out how to mitigate the disadvantages his tall frame presents in certain situations. But it’s fun to watch him pancake a guy every once in a while.
