Third-year TE Darnell Washington is not only transforming his body this offseason, but also his game, angling for more opportunities. While he has made strides over the past two years, he still sees so much more in front of him. To that end, he has slimmed down this year, but he is also working on his receiving craft. Even if he doesn’t necessarily have all the vocabulary at the tip of his tongue.
“I’d say, for sure, like my 1-2, my little Rocker Step or whatever you want to call it”, Washington said, via Pittsburgh’s DSEN, about an area in which he has grown as a receiver since last year. “It is still some games to it, like releases, second-level, things like that. I’m pretty sure everybody’s not where they want to be at this stage. Probably later on during the season, everybody improves throughout”.
Since the Steelers drafted him in the third round in 2023, Darnell Washington has not lacked for snaps. Even as a rookie, he played 511 snaps and saw that increase to 584 last year. But so much of his playing time has limited him to blocking roles, functioning as the “heavy lifting” guy, as TE coach Alfredo Roberts put it.
As a rookie in 2023, Washington only drew 10 targets over a full 17-game season. He caught seven of them for 61 yards, producing four first downs. Last season, he saw his targets climb to 25. He finished the year with 19 catches for 200 yards, including his first career touchdown.
And he sees so much more for himself, admitting that he previously had shortcomings in his game. Darnell Washington always seems willing to embrace the process of growing, which is very much where he is right now. The more he understands about what he’s doing when he’s running around, the more opportunities will find him.
“I’m for sure different, just in the aspect of how to run this route during this coverage. Because, at first, I didn’t really have a big enough role coming from Georgia”, Washington said. Definitely first year, I was still learning NFL defenses, what they’re giving us”.
Washington did not have a big role in the Bulldogs’ passing game, especially with Brock Bowers on the roster. A first-round pick, Bowers just set an NFL rookie record last year. Of course, Washington’s lack of a prominent role in the passing game wasn’t just because of Bowers. But he is trying to make up for all of it as he moves forward in his NFL career.
“If I’ve got this route, this coverage, run it like this. But in man, you’ve got to run it differently than in zone and things like that”, Washington said in explaining the growth of his understanding of his assignments. “I feel like I’ve just improved, and reading the defense more, understanding my route and why I’m running it, if it’s a pick or whatever it may be”.
With Steelers OC Arthur Smith’s heavy use of 12 and 13 personnel, there should be opportunities for Darnell Washington. While they have Pat Freiermuth as their primary receiving tight end, Washington offers a different look. His size and blocking-out ability are an asset. But if he can start running routes and improve his athleticism, he could put up some decent numbers.
