The Pittsburgh Steelers gain an additional piece to their tough and gritty offense by adding another tight end to their already stacked room with the selection of Georgia tight end Darnell Washington.
An athletic marvel standing at 6-7 and 264 pounds, Washington was one of the most intriguing offensive players in the entire draft. With the Bulldogs often using him essentially as another tackle as well as a dangerous red zone threat, the Steelers might have nabbed one of the steals of the draft in the third round. Washington was a key piece in the Georgia offense that won back to back championships, and during his senior season he experienced his best year yet. Washington caught 28 passes, for 454 yards, and two touchdowns, and was a key blocking piece for the dominant Georgia running attack.
Washington will likely not be the starter over entrenched veteran Pat Freiermuth, but could find himself contributing in run heavy packages, as well as in short yardage sets to use his big body to block at defenders for first downs. Either way, Washington should see plenty of field time as a versatile tight end that can smash and grab with the best of them.
