I’m bringing back a series I had a lot of fun exploring during the past several offseasons. Every player wants to improve and elevate his game in all areas from one season to the next. Understanding that, we’re going to isolate just one area, one faction of a player’s game where the biggest improvement can be made.
Darnell Washington – Improve Snap Timing
Darnell Washington has a chance to make a big impact in 2024. He’s a second-year player, an unrefined tight end more raw than thought of coming out of Georgia’s pro-style system. Tight end is a notoriously tough position for rookies to make an immediate impact, and offensive coordinator Arthur Smith craves a blocking tight end like him. Washington should see red zone targets this year and almost certainly score his first touchdown, or four.
In 2023, Washington flashed as a blocker. When he had the angle and leverage on a defender to seal or wash him down, he looked dominant. But on straight-up base blocks, he struggled. No matter what the blocking scheme calls for, Washington must fire off the ball quicker. Too often, he was late out of his stance. In the NFL, it doesn’t matter how big or long you are if you can’t time the snap.
Just one example of it last year against the Cleveland Browns. Washington is late off the ball and the LDE is able to slant into the C gap and blow this play up, tackling RB Najee Harris for a loss.
There’s no question playing on the road like the above clip makes life tougher. Teams use silent counts, Washington is further away from center, the defenders have direct eyes and can better key the ball. But he’s gotta get off the line. It’s not like he’s a naturally explosive player, so any delay hurts him even more.
His size and length can help to an extent, but if the defender is halfway through the gap by the time Washington makes contact, he’s lost the rep. That’s stuff you can get away with in college, not the NFL.
While I’m excited by what Washington could offer as a receiver this year, his primary role remains as a blocker. He has the potential to become a dominant one, but snap timing will define how close he’ll come to that. This is a must for him to have a successful career.
