Anybody who has booted up Madden or an identical soccer online game has gone to the create-a-player function and made a 6-7, 300-pound ability participant on offense who has unrealistic pace and agility for his or her dimension. The Pittsburgh Steelers simply occur to have that man in actual life as Darnell Washington continues to have a heck of an offseason.
Robert Griffin III was impressed with Washington’s preseason landing catch final night time and known as for the Steelers to get him extra concerned within the passing recreation this yr.
“All 6’7 270 kilos of Darnell Washington working down the seam is a tough factor to cease,” Griffin wrote on X. “He has been having a fantastic coaching camp, particularly coming alive within the crimson zone. Pittsburgh has to feed the large man extra this season.”
There are only a few, if any, defensive backs who’re capable of match his peak and physicality and only a few linebackers are capable of sustain together with his pace. And Griffin used Washington’s weight coming into the league. He has simply added 20-30 kilos. He instructed reporters that he misplaced about 10 kilos this offseason, however he was over 300 kilos final season, in line with TE coach Alfredo Roberts. If I needed to guess, he’s simply barely underneath the 300-pound mark now.
The 2023 NFL Scouting Mix medicals reportedly prompt Washington had a knee challenge that might restrict his receiving talents and perhaps the longevity of his profession, however that looks as if a non-concern at this level. He can transfer, and he can leap. And he has been remarkably wholesome with zero video games missed over his first two seasons.
The Steelers might want to stability how they use him as a result of he’s additionally one of many highest blocking TEs within the league. Even with Pat Freiermuth and Jonnu Smith on the sphere, I don’t know the way you justify maintaining Washington on the sidelines.
By means of the primary 9 camp practices, Washington caught 10 of his 11 targets for 91 yards and three touchdowns, per our Alex Kozora. Some reporters have even singled him out because the star of camp with clearly improved motion expertise over final yr.
I don’t know the way the Steelers are going to feed all of their targets within the passing recreation, however it will be a disgrace to underutilize a human cheat code like Washington.
