Steelers plan to allow rookie TE Darnell Washington to ‘grow’ into role on offense
Share this post:
When the Pittsburgh Steelers report to training camp in two weeks, rookie Darnell Washington could be fourth on the unofficial depth chart among tight ends.
Washington also could be situated in that spot behind Pat Freiermuth, Zach Gentry and Connor Heyward when the regular season opens in September.
That wouldn’t be necessarily bad news or slow his development, according to his position coach.
“It takes a little bit of pressure off Darnell because of what you’ve got in that room,” tight ends coach Alfredo Roberts said last month during minicamp. “As he comes in, he can come in slowly and be allowed to grow. As he does that, I think he can be a real problem for people to handle.”
At 6-foot-7, 265 pounds, Washington has the size to be a problem for NFL defenses. The Steelers used their third-round draft pick on the massive junior from Georgia because of his blocking ability and chance to be a viable red-zone target for second-year quarterback Kenny Pickett.
But Washington also joined a team that has Freiermuth entrenched as the starter, brought back Gentry in free agency because of his blocking ability and has a second-year player in Heyward who can be used in a variety of roles on offense and special teams.
“I’m giddy about the whole room,” Roberts said.
Before the Steelers took their six-week break leading into training camp, Washington graded his play at organized team activities and minicamp as a “B-minus, C-plus.” That came after he was given a prominent look because of Freiermuth’s foot injury.
“I feel like there are things I could have corrected,” Washington said. “Overall, it was a little bit above average. … It’s getting comfortable with the plays. The more comfortable you get, the faster you can play.”
The trait that stood out for Washington while playing for the back-to-back national champions was his blocking. Trouble is, he hasn’t been permitted to show off such skills because of NFL rules prohibiting hitting during summer workouts.
He finally will get his chance to don pads Aug. 1, which comes after the heat acclimation period the league mandates at the beginning of training camp.
“That is the plan: to really get out there and compete and do the best I can and improve on everything,” Washington said.
Offensive coordinator Matt Canada is looking forward to seeing how Washington can help the offense. Washington could be used in a heavy package with Gentry, or he could team up with Freiermuth to give the Steelers a pair of pass-catching options at tight end.
“I do think he creates some matchup issues,” Canada said. “How fast that comes, it goes back to he’s now Year 1 learning, and we’re soaking him with a lot of different things here through this process to see what he’s good at, what he’s comfortable with. And, in his defense, we haven’t put any pads on yet. His strength is when the pads are on, so we’re excited about what he could bring.”
The Steelers also are curious to see how Washington’s speed translates when the padded portion of practice begins. Washington ran the 40-yard dash in 4.64 seconds at the NFL Combine, showing spectacular speed for a player of his size. He also has the second-best athleticism score and overall score, according to Next Gen Stats testing.
“It’s crazy,” Freiermuth said. “Zach and I always talk about it, ‘Thank God, we aren’t in high school now,’ because if I was in high school, I feel like I wouldn’t have been offered by Penn State because of the amount of athletes who are at the high school level now as tight ends. They are breeding them big now.”
In the summer, Washington showed no signs of being bothered by the ankle and foot injuries that dogged him in college and caused his draft stock to slip until the third round. Continued good health and how quickly he grasps the Steelers offense could determine whether Washington is ready to contribute as a rookie and perhaps move up the depth chart.
“Conditioning is always the number one thing and having that knowledge base,” Roberts said. “The sooner they can learn it — there are so many positional things they need to get under their belt so they can play. He has the tools to be a really good player at this level. If he stays healthy, stays available, he can play a long time at this level.”