Tag: Darnell Washington

Steelers TE Darnell Washington expecting a big season

Darnell Washington has looked much better as a route runner and receiver at OTAs.

When the Pittsburgh Steelers selected tight end Darnell Washington in the third round of the 2023 NFL draft, most pundits thought they got a steal. Washington is a freakish athlete and punishing blocker but very raw as a pass catcher.

All three of those things showed themselves last season. Despite playing the most snaps of any tight end on the roster (511) but was only targeted 10 times in the passing game. Washington feels like that is going to change this season and he expects to have a breakout season. He talked about it during OTAs when he addressed the media after practice.

“I’d say this year is different for me because I know the ropes of the NFL a little more. Last year was my rookie year so I was going into it like ‘I don’t really know what this is like.’ This year, I feel like I have more of a grasp on things,” Washington said. “Personally, I do [expect a big year]. At the same time, I still have to build trust with the OC for him to call what he wants to call, still got to build trust with the QBs, but yeah I think so.”

New offensive coordinator Arthur Smith brings a more tight-end-friendly offense to Pittsburgh but the depth chart is crowded. Pat Freiermuth and Connor Heyward are also hoping to see more targets and there are only so many to go around.

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The Steelers might already have their new offensive tackle on the team

Should the Steelers convert Darnell Washington to offensive tackle?

Back in 1971, the Pittsburgh Steelers drafted tight end Larry Brown in the fifth round of the NFL draft. Brown spent his first six seasons with the Steelers as a tight end, amassing just 48 receptions.

Head coach Chuck Noll didn’t give up on Brown. Instead, he converted the big strong run blocker into a right tackle where he started 85 games over the next eight seasons. He even made the Pro Bowl in 1982 and was enshrined into the Steelers Ring of Honor in 2019.

Why does all this matter? Because the Steelers currently have tight end Darnell Washington on the roster and he could be a prime candidate for a similar position change.

Washington was selected in the third round of the 2023 NFL draft. Washington is a mountain of a man at 6-foot-7, 265 pounds and a devastating run blocker. Pittsburgh also drafted Washington’s teammate, offensive tackle Broderick Jones in the first round of the same draft and he is entrenched in the starting lineup after a strong rookie campaign.

But with the team releasing Chuks Okorafor and the inconsistent play of Dan Moore Jr. on the left side, there is still plenty of work to be done. It might not be a switch that can happen in a single offseason but we love the idea of Washington making the switch.

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Steelers 2024 offseason – Tight end

The Steelers have four quality tight ends on the roster.

The Pittsburgh Steelers went into 2023 with high hopes for the tight end position. But unfortunately, the problems with the offense spilled over to this group in all the worst ways. Hopefully, the addition of new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith will help get these guys back into the game plan. Here are all the tight ends currently on the roster.

Where, oh where, is Steelers rookie Darnell Washington?

Paging Darnell Washington. Darnell Washington to the playing field. 

Paging Darnell Washington. Darnell Washington to the offense.

I know it’s asking a lot for Pittsburgh Steelers coordinator Matt Canada to incorporate a new wrinkle into an offense he’s already struggling to manage. But with Pat Freiermuth sidelined for a while, it’s time to get the rook involved.

He’s Pittsburgh’s only true tight end who’s played in an NFL game. Connor Heyward is a great gadget player and showed flashes in 2022, but Washington is strictly a tight end who has the talent (and desire) to block out the wazoo. And his towering 6-foot-7 stature should have Kenny Pickett drooling.

As a pass blocker, Washington’s PFF grade is 77.1. 53.0 run-blocking isn’t as favorable, but nothing with the run game is really clicking for Pittsburgh right now.

So far, Washington’s started four games — the L.A. Rams not being one of them — and has only logged one catch on three targets for 10 yards (PFF indicates two of the throws not brought in weren’t catchable). Against the Ravens, he played 70 percent of offensive snaps and only 53 percent in Los Angeles.

I get it. Mike Tomlin brings rookies along slowly (eye roll). But there are three more games until Freiermuth should return to practice, and even then, there’s a 21-day window that might be used until he plays again. Hamstrings are finicky — as we saw when he attempted to return for Week 7.

It’s times like these that Tomlin needs to forget about being stubborn for the sake of getting the offense churning at a consistent rate. Get Darnell Washington going. Steelers fans are eager to see what he can do.

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5 things Pat Freiermuth’s injury means for the Pittsburgh Steelers

With Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth Pat Freiermuth comes adjustments that’ll need to be made on the fly.

It was anticipated that the Pittsburgh Steelers would return from their Week 6 bye a fully healthy team (save Cam Heyward), but Pat Freiermuth‘s hamstring had other plans.

The team placed the veteran tight end on injured reserve Saturday. He’ll be sidelined for the next four games and could return for Pittsburgh’s critical road brawl with the Cleveland Browns in Week 11.

The news is huge for the offense, as Freiermuth was responsible for half of the team’s offensive scores.

Here are four things his injury could mean for the Pittsburgh Steelers going forward.

Former Georgia TE Darnell Washington makes nifty one-handed catch

Former UGA football tight end Darnell Washington made an impressive catch in Pittsburgh Steelers camp

Former Georgia Bulldogs tight end Darnell Washington is turning heads in Pittsburgh Steelers camp. Washington’s combination of size, athleticism and blocking suits him well in the NFL.

The Pittsburgh Steelers drafted Washington with the 93rd pick in the 2023 NFL draft. Washington dropped in the draft due to medical concerns, but it is looking like he may be a steal.

The 6-foot-7, 270-pound tight end is a former five-star recruit. Washington joins former Georgia Bulldogs Broderick Jones and George Pickens in Pittsburgh. Washington and Jones were a very effective blocking combination in college.

Here’s a look at Darnell Washington’s one-handed catch in practice:

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Watch Steelers TE Darnell Washington with the athletic 1-handed catch

Darnell Washington keeps making big plays at training camp.

It really feels like Pittsburgh Steelers rookie tight end Darnell Washington is going to be a problem in the NFL. Pittsburgh stole Washington in the third round of the 2023 NFL draft and as he gets better every week, you have to wonder how many teams regret passing on the former Georgia star.

In training camp practice on Wednesday, Washington hauled in a pass in the corner of the end zone that many veteran tight ends would be envious of. At Georgia, Washington spent much of his time relegated to being a sixth offensive lineman and he was downright dominant. But it is clear he is further along as a receiver than he showed at Georgia and he’s taking to NFL coaching in a big way.

It isn’t clear what Washington’s role will be on the Steelers offense but based on some of the plays he has made in training camp and the preseason, he will be hard to keep off the field, especially in the red zone.

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Draft Wire named Darnell Washington as Steelers rookie to watch this week

Mount Washington makes his NFL debut this week.

When the Pittsburgh Steelers take the field against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Friday night, there will be multiple members of the 2023 NFL draft class in the spotlight. Most NFL draft pundits gave the Steelers high marks for their class and the team has several guys who could have prominent roles on the team this season.

Draft Wire went through every team and named the rookie they are most excited to watch play this week and for the Pittsburgh Steelers, it was tight end Darnell Washington. Here’s what Jeff Risdon of Draft Wire had to say about Washington:

The giant tight end from Georgia wound up falling to the Steelers in the third round. It’s time to see if he can do things like this against other teams and not just the Steelers defense.

There’s no doubt the Steelers knew they were getting a dominant run blocker and raw athlete in terms of a receiver. But through just two weeks of training camp, the polish to his route running and catching have started to show up. We’ve always contended that Washington was relegated to the role of sixth offensive lineman out of scheme and not because he couldn’t be a factor in the passing game. It didn’t help he played with Brock Bowers, who is the best pass-catching tight end in college football.

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Five bold predictions for the 2023 NFL season

Touchdown Wire’s Jarrett Bailey makes five bold predictions for the 2023 NFL season.

It’s easy to just go along with the status quo. But, as is proven year after year, the NFL sees your status quo and chokeslams it through a table.

Yes, it’s a rarity where all of the chalk predictions and odds-on favorited outcomes are what end up taking place. The consensus on the AFC West last season was that every team would be competitive, and some even predicted all four teams in the division to make the playoffs. Instead, Nathaniel Hackett didn’t even last a full season in Denver, and the Raiders were their usual tire fire selves.

With that said, predictions were made to be bold, so let’s put on our big boy pants and get risky with five bold predictions for the NFL season.

Former Tennessee assistant gave Georgia TE Darnell Washington cash on recruiting visit

Darnell Washington took cash from UT & still signed with Georgia…

Former Tennessee assistant coach Brian Niedermeyer reportedly gave former Georgia tight end Darnell Washington cash and other gifts on recruiting visits.

A report from Mike Wilson of the Knoxville-News Sentinel conveyed that former Volunteers assistant committed multiple violations while recruiting Washington, a five-star recruit at the time. Niedermeyer reportedly gave Washington $750 in cash during a January 2019 visit to Washington’s high school (Desert Pines).

The report details that the Volunteers gave Washington impermissible benefits totaling $1,713 during two visits in 2019. NCAA documents showed Washington received free lodging on one occasion, free meals on two occasions and UT apparel on two occasions.

Washington signed with the Bulldogs in the 2020 class and went on to contribute mightily to back-to-back national titles. A third-round NFL draft pick this spring, Washington is entering his rookie season for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Niedermeyer was fired along with head coach Jeremy Pruitt in 2021 amid a NCAA investigation into the program. The recently released results of the investigation include no bowl ban for Tennessee’s numerous violations, but the school was fined $8 million and will lose 28 scholarships over a five-year period.

The NCAA handed Niedermeyer a five-year show-cause penalty and Pruitt a six-year show-cause penalty for their involvement.

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