Coming into the 2023 NFL Draft, Georgia's Darnell Washington was considered one of the top tight end prospects in his class. He lasted a bit longer than expected on draft weekend due to reported injury issues, but ended up being selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers at the tail end of the third round.
Washington's size (6-foot-7, 270 pounds) made him one of the most effective blockers at his position in all of college football, to the point that some draft evaluators felt he could even make a Jason Peters-style transition to offensive tackle. But he also occasionally showcased high-end pass-catching abilities, and he tested an an excellent athlete. According to Relative Athletic Score, he ranked in the 98th percentile among all tight ends to participate in the NFL combine since 1987.
Of course, there is still refining of his skill set that needs to take place. And his first chance to do that was during minicamp and OTAs. Washington thought his performance in those opportunities was satisfactory, but not excellent.
"I just grade myself overall like B-minus, C-plus," he said this week. "Like if it was a letter grade, if that makes sense."
As for what he still needs to work on, Washington immediately pointed to his route-running, and how he needs to be extremely consistent on that front,.
"I know I may have run a good route here or there during these couple of days," he said. "But it's still staying consistent, I feel like, when it comes to that -- cleaning up in and out of breaks."
Washington indicated that he plans to stay in the Pittsburgh area between now and training camp and see if any of the quarterbacks are still in town so he can work on timing and different routes.
"I feel like I've come a long way when it comes to really just getting comfortable with the plays," Washington said. "And I feel like the more comfortable you get, the faster you can play."
