Steelers TE coach hopes to take pressure off Darnell Washington

Steeler fans may love to see Darnell Washington line up at first-team tight end as soon as training camp starts. The rookie from Georgia just looks the part of a dominating NFL player.

After all, he’s 6-foot-7, 265 pounds, and played for the two-time defending national champions. Surely, he can push around a strongside linebacker or double-team a defensive end with relative ease. And he could be Kenny Pickett‘s best friend on third down. Get him on the field, right?

But tight end coach Alfredo Roberts isn’t going to rush Darnell Washington, the Steelers third-round pick in April’s draft. With the first preseason practice set for July 27, Washington is fourth-team on the depth chart. Roberts, in an interview with the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, noted that the Steelers already had a ton of depth.

“It takes a little bit of pressure off Darnell because of what you’ve got in that (tight end) room,” Roberts said. “As he comes in, he can come in slowly and be allowed to grow. As he does that, I think he can be a real problem for people to handle.”

Darnell Washington was one of those prospects who turned heads at the NFL Combine. His size made him a standout, as did his athleticism. But he mostly blocked at Georgia, although he did catch 44 passes in three seasons in Athens. So in other words, he’s still raw and somewhat untested.

The Steelers already have three good tight ends in Pat Freiermuth, Zach Gentry and Connor Heyward. Freiermuth, in his two seasons in Pittsburgh, is averaging 10 yards a catch. Overall, he has 123 catches for 1,229 yards and nine scores.

Washington did get some quality reps during OTAs and mini-camp with Freiermuth out with a foot injury. But he couldn’t show off his blocking skills because the NFL doesn’t allow hitting in these off-season practices. Overall, he gave himself a grade of C plus to a B minus. We’re not sure if he’s a tough grader.

“I feel like there are things I could have corrected,” Washington told reporters during mini camp. “Overall, it was a little bit above average. … It’s getting comfortable with the plays. The more comfortable you get, the faster you can play.”

Steeler fans can look forward to this date — Aug. 1. That’s when players can put on full pads for the first time. So let the real hitting begin. And coaches can figure out whether Darnell Washington needs to see the field immediately, or whether he needs to sit and learn when the season starts.