Not every rookie can come into the NFL and be Ben Roethlisberger. Usually, it takes time for a young player to adjust from college to the league, with the first year being full of growing pains, especially for players selected in the later rounds. A player’s rookie season is about learning and adjusting, and it seems tight end Darnell Washington finally feels acclimated to the league.
Considering Washington was the team’s third-round pick last year, he had higher expectations than normal due to his freak athleticism. He also reportedly only fell in the draft due to medical concerns, making fans believe he’d have a big role in the Steelers offense. That wasn’t the case, and in a video from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette after yesterday’s practice, Washington explained why he felt like he struggled last season, and why he feels like he will be better.
“Your first year coming in, you don’t know how things play out,” Washington said. “Now it’s my second year, I know how camp rolls. Now it’s just about doing my job, doing my assignment, get a clear head, and not overthinking. Last year, I was overthinking. Now when the ball snaps, it’s a fast pace. I’ve been in the pace a little bit for a whole season, so it’s kind of slowing down a little bit.”
Standing at almost 6’7” and weighing over 250 pounds, Washington posted a 4.64 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine. That kind of combination of size and speed isn’t found very often, so it makes sense that expectations were higher than they should’ve been for Washington. However, if being an athlete was all it took to make it in the NFL, then there would be a whole lot more players in the league.
The speed of the game is usually what players point to as the biggest difference between college and the NFL. In college, not everyone is going to go pro. In the NFL, everyone is fast, including the bigger guys. It sounds like Washington was just trying to do too much last year. Now, he should be taking everything one step at a time, giving him an opportunity to have a much bigger role in the offense this year.
It seems like Arthur Smith is going to heavily utilize tight ends in the offense this year, so having Washington caught up to speed will be incredibly important. Not only could his receiving ability be a huge boost to this offense, but his potential as a blocker could be invaluable. With the offense being more focused around running the ball, having Washington on the field as an extra blocker could make the Steelers offense even more dangerous. If he stays healthy, he’ll be a player to keep an eye on.
