Darnell Washington drafted No. 93 overall by Pittsburgh Steelers
After a longer wait than expected, Darnell Washington has his new home. The Georgia tight end came off the board at No. 93 overall – the 30th pick in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft – to the Pittsburgh Steelers. There he will join Pittsburgh’s first round pick and his Georgia teammate Broderick Jones, plus George Pickens who the Steelers selected last year in the second round.
It’s hard to describe the skillset of a player like Washington without using the work “freak.” Simply put, there aren’t many like him coming in at 6-foot-7 and playing this past season at nearly 280 pounds while also being able to catch and run with the ball in his hands. That’s not a sight any defender at the college level wanted to see, and it won’t be in the NFL either.
A highly touted athlete from west of the Mississippi, Georgia made Washington a priority in the Class of 2020. He played defensive end and tight end for Desert Pines in Las Vegas, and was ranked the No. 1 athlete. Once recruiting services settled on him as a tight end, the five-star came in at No. 2 there and No. 24 overall according to the On3 Industry Ranking.
In three years at Georgia, Washington caught 45 career passes for 774 yards and three touchdowns. His numbers got better and better each year he spent on campus.
As a freshman in 2020, he had seven catches in 10 games. Of the seven, five went for 25 yards or longer including a season-long 38-yarder in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl against a top-10 Cincinnati team.
Washington battled injuries early in his sophomore season. He missed time during spring practice with a foot injury. That trend continued into the fall when he was out the first four games of the year. Once back though, he had an increased role in the offense. In 11 games, Washington hauled in 10 passes including his first career touchdown in the SEC Championship Game against Alabama.
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Everything seemed to click for Washington in 2022. Playing in 15 games, he had more catches and yards than he did in the previous two years combined. Once again, big plays were a big part of Washington’s game with at least a 10-yard reception in each of the first eight games of the year.
Washington totaled eight plays of 25 yards or more and 18 plays for a pickup of double-digit yardage including a 14-yard score in the SEC Championship Game against LSU. It was the second of the season for Washington, surpassing his career total in 2022. He was used as a big red zone target for the other one versus Mississippi State.
Washington impressed at the NFL Combine this past March in Indianapolis with a 4.64 40-yard dash. He also wowed with a one-handed grab in positional drills.
Washington is the fourth Georgia player taken joining first round picks Jalen Carter (Eagles), Broderick Jones (Steelers) and Nolan Smith (Eagles).
