"That's where my heart is" Darnell Washington says about scoring touchdowns
The Steelers drafted one of the most unique talents of the entire 2023 NFL Draft class when they selected former Georgia tight end Darnell Washington in the third round.
Seeing him up close at rookie minicamp, he towers over his teammates with his 6-foot-7 and 264-pound frame. Washington looks more than equipped to run the floor with current NBA MVP Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers.
“I hung up those shoes a long time ago,” Washington said regarding the game of basketball. I already knew football. Football was in my heart. I enjoy basketball.”
The uniqueness of his game revolves around both his amazing size and, more importantly, the athletic intangibles he brings to the table.
His 4.64 forty-yard dash at the NFL Combine helped elevate his status nationally while NFL scouts were piecing together his highlight reels from Georgia with his exceptional combine results.
“A little bit, yeah (smiles), Washington laughs when admitting he was often the bigger, better athlete growing up. “So, my first year, I could barely remember. People say I played everything a little bit. Around 11 years old, and I played running back—the year after that left tackle. The year after that, I played receiver, but the whole time I played football, I played d-end or d-line. My junior year in high school, I transitioned to tight end.”
Playing his collegiate football in Athens, Georgia, with the Bulldogs, his role was predicated on being that extra lineman on the field. His pass-catching was secondary to his duties of getting upfield and setting the edge.
“They had their guys already,” Washington replied when asked about his role in the Bulldogs' passing attack. “Already set in stone. I loved my role. I love whatever my role is. I embrace my role, and I can’t control it.”
After the walk-through, it’s entirely too early to consume ourselves with Steelers offensive coordinator Matt Canada. There are going to be a lot of mouths to feed for second-year quarterback Kenny Pickett to satisfy.
The one benefit Pickett will have is the enormous target in Washington, who should find himself alone more often than not with so many other outlets to distribute the football vertically.
During his freshman season at Georgia, he averaged 24 yards per catch and finished his career with a 17.2-yard average which ranked near the top amongst all his Georgia teammates. It validates his route running and ability to be a factor in the open field. He is hard to bring down, churning out those extra yards with his monster truck frame.
Washington says he played defensive line his entire football life before his junior high school transition to tight end. He explained he simply prefers playing on the offensive side of football.
“That is where my heart is,” Washington said. “Scoring touchdowns. Big blocks.”
Scoring touchdowns and making big blocks are something Pittsburgh hopes to witness countless times as Washington evolves into this rookie season in the NFL.
With his size and ability, I must ask – What dunk would he do to win a dunk contest?
“Probably just a 360 windmill, I guess,” Washington replied in laughter. “I don’t know how to answer that.”
