Steelers Rookie Turns Heads at Minicamp: ‘He Does Some Things Very Natural’

The Pittsburgh Steelers already have Pat Freiermuth making impactful plays at tight end. The Steelers also re-signed veteran Zach Gentry. Freiermuth and Gentry each played at least 49% of the team’s offensive snaps in 2022.

But the Steelers still expect big things from rookie tight end Darnell Washington. Based on how he performed at the team’s minicamp, those expectations are only rising.

“He’s great man,” Freiermuth said when talking about Washington in front of the media on June 14. “He does some things very natural to him, and he’s a good route runner, and he definitely is very physical.”

In three seasons at Georgia, Washington recorded 45 receptions for 774 receiving yards and 3 touchdowns.

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Darnell Washington Looking Impressive at Steelers Minicamp

His production at Georgia left something to be desired. At least for all the hype he’s received since the Steelers drafted him during the third round in April, one could expect Washington to have produced more on the field than he did in college.

But Washington implied while talking to the media at minicamp that part of his lack of college production was the other talent on his team and simple game flow.

“I feel like I have a full route tree,” Washington told Steelers Now’s Nick Farabaugh. “At Georgia, I ran a lot of different routes in practice. If I had made a practice highlight tape, it would look like I had 2,000 yards.

“But when the game happened, those plays were not called, or Brock Bowers is doing Brock Bowers things out there. But I feel like I have a lot of upside.”

That upside led to the Steelers drafting Washington at No. 93 overall despite other teams reportedly having concerns with the health of his knees.

Quarterback Kenny Pickett didn’t address Washington individually, but Pickett talked about the rookie tight end in a group with some of the team’s other young offensive targets — Connor Heyward and Calvin Austin III.

“I don’t think it’s a secret to anyone here why they are playing really well. Those guys all work really hard at it, and they’re here every day working,” Pickett said. “They’re [running] crisp routes, clean routes, where I need them to be. So, I have a lot of faith in those guys to make plays.”

Farabaugh called Washington the “star of practice” for the Steelers on June 14. He also wrote that the rookie tight end “has some easy roles” that he can immediately fill during his first season.

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What Role Could Washington Play for 2023 Steelers?

With Freiermuth and Gentry, there’s no obvious vacancy for Washington to fill. Heyward, who is listed as a tight end/fullback on Pittsburgh’s roster, also saw his playing time increase during the second half of his rookie season in 2022.

But with a third capable tight end, Steelers Depot’s Matthew Marczi proposed the Steelers deploying more two tight-end sets and even three tight-end formations.

Washington showed in college that he’s a capable blocker. At 6-foot-7 and 264 pounds, he could be a mismatch in the receiving game as well, particularly in the red zone.

The Steelers scored touchdowns on just 51.92% of their red-zone possessions during 2022, which was ranked 22nd in the league. Matt Canada’s unit needs more yards overall this season, but a more efficient offensive unit will also be key to the team returning to the postseason.

Based on his performance from minicamp, Washington appears to be part of that solution.

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