Darnell Washington getting ready to give future team 'freakish talent'
Former Georgia tight end Darnell Washington is hopeful to hear his name called a week from tonight during the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft. That’s not a guarantee. Washington has been mocked mainly in the second round over the last month in what’s considered to be one of the deepest draft classes of tight ends in quite some time. However, what is a certainty is the fact that whoever lands Washington – whether it be in the first or second round – is getting a player with a unique set of skills added to their team.
“Darnell is a freakish talent at 6-6.5, 265 pounds. With his arm length and the way he runs, that’s a matchup nightmare. I could see him going in the first round. I have him in the early second, but he is a dynamic talent,” ESPN NFL Draft expert Mel Kiper Jr. recently said about Washington. “You say, ‘Well what about the catches?’ Brock Bowers is a great talent too, and he’s been in there since his freshman year. Brock is a junior this year, will be draft eligible in 2024 and should be a high pick, you’ve got to get the ball to Brock Bowers. He’s one of the best tight ends in College Football over the last couple of years. So you’ve got Brock Bowers catching the ball and then you’ve got Darnell Washington getting his. I thought Stetson Bennett did a good job distributing the football to the guy, but you’ve got to get Brock Bowers 6-8-10 catches a game, so that kind of limits the opportunities for Darnell. He certainly showed he could do that. Like I said, you don’t find many tight ends with his size, his athleticism and his speed.”
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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. The next year as a sophomore, he had 10 games in 11 games, and while his yardage total went down, he found his way into the end zone. Then, this past season, Washington broke through to top all of his previous career totals with 28 catches, 454 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
Washington and the rest of the available Georgia players will find their future spots starting next Thursday at 7:00 p.m. ET with the first round taking place in Kansas City on ABC, ESPN and NFL Network. Coverage continues into the Day Two (second and third rounds) and Day Three (fourth through seventh rounds) on Friday and Saturday. Available Bulldogs include quarterback Stetson Bennett, running back Kenny McIntosh, wide receiver Kearis Jackson, offensive linemen Broderick Jones, Warren McClendon and Warren Ericson, defensive lineman Jalen Carter, outside linebackers Nolan Smith and Robert Beal, defensive backs Kelee Ringo and Christopher Smith and kicker Jack Podlesny.
