Darnell Washington has been an interesting piece of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ offense in recent years. Taken in the third round of the 2023 draft, Washington has a rare blend of size and athleticism. While he’s been a great blocker in the NFL, he hasn’t been utilized much as a receiver. He made some strides last year, and this season, he’s working to get even better in that department. However, analyst Daniel Jeremiah thinks Washington should seriously consider changing positions.
“He’s got a really good chance to be a Pro Bowl tackle,” Jeremiah said Tuesday on The Pat McAfee Show. “There’s just not many guys that are that big that can move like that. And if I was his agent, I would be like, ‘Here’s what the 15th-best tight end in the NFL makes. Now here’s what a top-10 offensive tackle makes in this league.’ Make the switch. Your finances will thank you.”
Washington recently spoke about how he’s open to moving to offensive tackle at some point in his career. However, he also made it clear that’s only an option if he fails at tight end.
Jeremiah’s point might sway Washington, though. Money talks, and it’s just a fact that offensive tackles get paid more than tight ends. This year, according to Over the Cap, Pat Freiermuth’s cap number comes in at just under $13 million, eighth highest for a tight end.
That’s lower than what the eighth-best left tackle is set to make, which is around $15 million. Additionally, there’s a much higher ceiling when it comes to money that an offensive tackle can make versus what a tight end can make. In 2025, not one tight end’s cap number exceeds $20 million. In contrast, there are several tackles who will exceed that figure.
Also, for Washington to make that much money as a tight end, he’d have to become one of the best in the league. Right now, he’s arguably not even the Steelers’ second-best player at the position.
However, if he transitions to tackle, he could not only be in a more favorable position to start but he could raise his ceiling in the NFL. Blocking isn’t much of a question with Washington, who is a mammoth of a man. If he could focus all of his time on becoming an even better blocker then he could potentially reach the level that Jeremiah thinks he can.
That switch doesn’t seem to be coming anytime soon, though. Troy Fautanu and Broderick Jones are the Steelers’ tackles, and both of them are former first-round picks. The team wants both of them to pan out. However, if either of them struggles, then perhaps the Steelers will turn to Washington as a replacement. It’s an option that’s on the table for him.
