The Pittsburgh Steelers added a new offensive weapon at tight end this offseason with Jonnu Smith. And insider Jeremy Fowler is hearing the Steelers could utilize Smith and fellow TE Pat Freiermuth even in third and long situations this season. But where does that leave TE Darnell Washington?
On Friday’s episode of the 40s and Free Agents podcast, Gregg Rosenthal and Daniel Jeremiah were discussing impact additions and rookies in the AFC North. But they brought up Washington after mentioning the addition of Jonnu Smith. That’s where things got a little crazy.
“He’s amazing…” Rosenthal said. “He might be the best tight end on this team overall.”
That’s incredibly high praise for a young tight end like Darnell Washington. Smith is coming off a career year with 800 yards and eight touchdowns. And the Steelers signed Freiermuth to a four-year extension before the start of last season.
But whereas both Smith and Freiermuth are much more receiving tight ends, Washington can be more of a throwback tight end. He’ll play inline and use his size to be a punishing run blocker. He can also slip out and somehow hurdle defenders or stiff-arm them into oblivion. He did it in college, and he’s done it in Pittsburgh.
The Big O does it again!
📱: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/VW6S3uFsXs@_Dwfootball11 | #GoDawgs pic.twitter.com/ses5YZmVph
— Georgia Football (@GeorgiaFootball) September 30, 2024
But it’s that blocking prowess that intrigues Daniel Jeremiah so much. It reminds him of a former tight end who went on to have a very different, yet long and productive NFL career.
“I’ll go one better,” Jeremiah said. “I think he’s the best tackle on their team. And I really like Fautanu, their right tackle, and we’ll see what Broderick Jones can be. But just in terms of talent, he’s got the frame to do it. If you want to earmark this for three years down the road and we’re talking about Jason Peters 2.0, it’s this dude.”
We all know Jason Peters as a perennial Pro Bowler first with the Buffalo Bills and then the Philadelphia Eagles. He was a first-team All-Pro twice and second-team four times. But before that, he was an undrafted free agent tight end out of the University of Arkansas. In his final year with the Razorbacks, he caught 21 passes for 218 yards and four touchdowns.
Those aren’t stellar numbers, so it was no surprise he was an undrafted free agent. He spent the early part of his career on the Bills’ practice squad. He also played special teams and was a blocking tight end, much like he was in college. He even caught a touchdown for the Bills in 2005.
But the Bills, with offensive line coach Jim McNally, saw the potential in Peters to play offensive line. Eventually, he earned the starting left tackle spot and never looked back.
Could Darnell Washington end up doing the same? Well, physically, there are a few similarities between the two. Peters was 6’5 and 328 pounds coming out of Arkansas. Washington has two inches on Peters at 6’7. And despite weighing in at “only” 264 pounds at the Combine, former Steelers QB Russell Wilson said he was 315 pounds at one point last year.
Per MockDraftable.com, the average NFL offensive tackle is nearly 6’6 and 315 pounds. That sounds an awful lot like Darnell Washington, hence Jeremiah’s comment about his frame. Playing offensive tackle isn’t just about size, though. And is he better than either Troy Fautanu or Broderick Jones at this point? Absolutely not.
But what sets Washington apart is his athleticism. All NFL players are athletic. Offensive tackles have to be athletic in order to fight off pass rushers. But how many offensive tackles can move like Washington can? That’s what gives Rosenthal pause.
“Everyone I trust says something similar,” Rosenthal said about Washington’s potential as a tackle. “And yet, when he gets out in the open field and you see his hands, how many other players are like that in the league?”
“He’s a unicorn,” Jeremiah said.
Offensive tackle is an incredibly important position on the football field. You need good tackles to keep your quarterback upright. But would the Steelers be getting the most out of Washington if they started focusing entirely on teaching him to be a tackle? Probably not.
The Steelers shouldn’t harness their unicorn at this point in his career. He’s got the potential and athleticism to be an important player in the passing game. But even Washington is willing to contemplate a move to tackle “later on down the road” if the Steelers want him to.
But for now, we just look forward to him giving defenders fits from the tight end position.
