Darnell Washington a big piece in deep draft class of tight ends
NFL Draft expert Daniel Jeremiah believes that this is one of the deepest tight end classes of all time. A big part of that – no pun intended – is Georgia’s Darnell Washington.
Coming in at 6-foot-7, 270 pounds according to the UGA roster, Washington brought a different element to the game than most other players going out for routes. Not only was he able to catch and run after the catch, but he did so with a physicality that defenses feared. That same physicality also made him a great blocker, the type of all-around tight end that teams are looking for.
“Darnell Washington is massive from Georgia,” Jeremiah told media members on a pre-Combine availability over the weekend. “He is like playing with a sixth offensive linemen in the run game, and he is still developing and learning in the pass game. I think there’s more there. Obviously, they had the best tight end in the country there with (Brock) Bowers, who is just an absolute freak show. So he doesn’t get as many balls as he would on other offenses, but he is really intriguing.”
Washington had the best year of his career this past season at Georgia. In his previous two combined, Washington played in 21 games with 17 catches. He turned that into 320 yards and one touchdown. As a junior in 2022, Washington not only had the best individual season for most of the receiving categories, but he also topped the career totals he had before. With 28 catches in 15 games, Washington racked up 454 yards and two touchdowns. He also had his career-high single-game totals with four catches for 78 yards versus Vanderbilt and five catches for 60 and a score at Mississippi State.
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“I think the tight end group is the best I’ve seen in the last ten years. It’s outstanding … I have eleven tight ends that I have top three round grades on, which is ridiculous number. It is just a really, really good group,” Jeremiah said. “I don’t think there’s a uniform TE-1 in this draft. When you talk to teams around the league you’ll hear different names mentioned. Usually it’s (Dalton) Kincaid, it’s (Michael) Mayer, it’s (Luke) Musgrave, and it’s Washington. Those are kind of the four that get mentioned.”
“We’ve done studies on it and looked at it over the years, and it’s just been a traits over production position,” he continued, speaking about what teams are looking for when drafting a tight end. “It goes back to the basketball players with Antonio Gates and Jimmy Graham. It goes to George Kittle not having a ton of numbers there at Iowa. It’s just can you separate? Do you have that short area quickness, and then do you have kind of that awareness, that spatial awareness? All that stuff is really, really important versus you being on a college team and you’re playing quarters coverage and they’re throwing you bubble screens and tunnel screens so you catch 85 balls. It just doesn’t — the production doesn’t translate as smoothly at that position to the next level. You’ve got to have those traits.”
Washington will be one of the 12 Bulldogs in Indianapolis for this week’s NFL Scouting Combine. Joined by quarterback Stetson Bennett, running back Kenny McIntosh, wide receiver Kearis Jackson, offensive linemen Broderick Jones and Warren McClendon, defensive lineman Jalen Carter, linebackers Robert Beal and Nolan Smith, defensive backs Kelee Ringo and Christopher Smith and kicker Jack Podlesny for the pre-draft event, Washington will meet with teams and media before taking the field on Saturday to show off his skills. Saturday’s session featuring the quarterbacks and pass catchers can be seen at 3:00 p.m. ET on NFL Network.
