Player: TE Darnell Washington
Stock Value: Up
Reasoning: At least one beat writer is glowing about Darnell Washington, going so far as to describe him as a different player. These observations are all premature, but he suggests the lumbering tight end looks more fluid this year. Perhaps ready to take on a larger role as a receiver, and more agile on the move.
Darnell Washington billed himself as the sixth lineman, but perhaps he can add wide receiver to his list of jobs. While the Steelers started incorporating him more into the passing game last year, there is meat on that bone. If Mark Kaboly and his early OTA observations are to be believed, we could see that this season.
Or at least, he might be capable of it. Because Kaboly described Darnell Washington as looking like a different player so far. There’s only so much you can say about actual reps, but he described Washington’s movement as different. This is football in shorts, and you can discern at least that from this time of year.
Coming out of college, Darnell Washington saw his draft stock fall due to concerns about his knees. After his rookie season, beat reporters even fed into that perception. They described him as lumbering and suggesting the Steelers are only counting on getting one contract out of him.
But if he is going to turn into this more mobile version of a slim lineman, perhaps the equation changes. While the Steelers already paid up for Pat Freiermuth, Washington could be a long-term wingman. A Matt Spaeth they actually throw to, even though Spaeth himself was a Mackey Award winner.
The Steelers are not likely to plan to throw Darnell Washington the ball more. But if practice over the course of the season dictates that they ought to, then they likely will. The Ravens figured out a way to throw to both Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely. It’s a good problem to have, and one the Steelers would gladly welcome.
With the new league year underway and the Steelers turning their roster over, it’s once again time to “take stock”. It took a while, but we finally saw some of that change the team talked about after the season ended. Certainly, the move to trade for WR DK Metcalf qualifies as a change, not to mention the accompanying contract.
There is still a long way to go before we know what this Steelers team is going to look like. The dust is settled on both free agency and the 2025 NFL Draft. What other moves might the team make, perhaps unexpected acquisitions or departures? If they traded for one player, they could certainly trade for another, or trade one away. This is a Steelers team starving for postseason success, but how desperate are they for a playoff win in 2025?
