Prior to the 2023 NFL Draft, there were some who wanted the Pittsburgh Steelers to draft TE Darnell Washington with their original first-round pick at No. 17. He ended up falling to them all the way at 93rd overall in the third round due to some injury concerns for his longevity in the NFL. Of all the Steelers’ rookies, he saw the field the earliest last season and ended up with 511 offensive snaps, which accounted for 48 percent of the team total. He was used almost exclusively as an extra blocker with his 6065, 264-pound frame.
He filled the blocking role well but was only targeted 10 times with seven receptions for 61 yards. He wasn’t overly prolific as a receiver in college either, but his athletic profile suggests he could be used more than he was in 2023. A 4.64-second 40-yard dash at that size is a problem for whoever matches up against him. Fortunately for Washington, the Steelers have a new offensive coordinator, one who loves utilizing tight ends in creative ways. He will do his fair share of blocking still, but Arthur Smith will likely find a way to get him more involved as a receiver.
Washington spoke to the media following the sixth day of OTA practices and was asked if he sees big things in store for himself in 2024.
“Personally, I do,” Washington said in a video posted by Steelers Live on X. “At the same time, I still gotta build trust with the OC for him to call whatever we want to call. Still gotta build trust with the QBs…but I think so.”
Donte Jackson, Miles Killebrew, and Darnell Washington spoke to the media after practice on Thursday: pic.twitter.com/cYIqBCfblR
— Steelers Live (@SteelersLive) May 30, 2024
Earning a bigger role as a receiver starts on the practice field and making the routine plays. At his size, Washington can be a weapon in the red zone, but you really have to earn the trust of the OC and the QBs to become a preferred target in that area of the field.
He has been hard at work rounding out his game this offseason, working on his skills as a receiver so he can prove himself in practice and earn those receiving opportunities. He was asked what specifically he has been working on.
“Getting in and outta breaks,” Washington said. “That’s kind of like the key things and route running [is] one of the most important because it’s kind of hard if you can’t really get in and out of breaks and then it is throwing some of the timing off.”
With the Steelers figuring to deploy multiple tight ends way more often in 2024, he should have a lot more opportunities to be on the field. Pat Freiermuth will lead that room as the TE1, but Washington has a solid chance of being the TE2 in competition with Connor Heyward, MyCole Pruitt, and Rodney Williams.
Last season in Atlanta, three tight ends registered over 100 receiving yards and a touchdown. Kyle Pitts led the way, but Jonnu Smith had a solid 582 yards and three touchdowns on 50 receptions as the TE2. If Washington can earn a portion of those targets and split with someone like Heyward then he should be in a much better place in his second season.
“I ain’t gonna say I had a big impact in that role, but I feel like I may have a little bit more impact this year coming up,” Washington said. “For me, it’s very exciting. Definitely in a tight end friendly offense.”
With his hard work and the new offensive scheme, Darnell Washington is poised for a bigger role as a versatile weapon for the Steelers.
