Arthur Smith Getting Creative: Steelers Tight End Could Be Secret Weapon
Arthur Smith is thinking way outside the box regarding how he wants this offense to look. The Steelers' offense has a handful of solid pieces, but a lonesome star weapon in D.K. Metcalf, leaving the door wide open for many players to emerge as the team’s second option. Third-year tight end Darnell Washington is the name at the top of my list, and he’s starting to show why. Standing at six-foot-seven, 264 pounds, Washington has exceptional athleticism, posting a 4.64 40-yard dash at the combine in 2023, which is extremely impressive for his rare size as a TE.
The young prospect showed little production, as his very unique skill set is one that takes time to groom. However, this could be the year for Darnell Washington to find his step in the NFL. Washington has been impressive early in training camp, coming down with balls that only he can come down with. Although the Steelers still have Pat Freiermuth on the squad and recently traded for Jonnu Smith, Arthur Smith is showing heavy TE usage, which is ironic considering Kyle Pitts’ production over the years. Sunday in camp, we saw the Steelers' offense run an empty set with four TEs on the field, Freiermuth, Smith, Washington, and Cameron Heyward, and it resulted in a fade from Aaron Rodgers to Washington in the back of the endzone for a touchdown.
On one hand, Washington contains a rare set of intangibles for a tight end, but on the other, he’s not close-minded to a position change down the line. One of Darnell Washington’s best skills is the use of his body and frame in the run game as a phenomenal blocker. The technique is not all there, but his size and pure strength alone allow him to pile through defenders and either get to the second level or create an edge-opening for the running back with ease. When asked about the possibility of a position change sometime down the road, he had this to say: "Personally, I feel like I can. Right now, I’m a tight end, so I’m gonna focus on that. But later on down the road — or at any time in the road — if they ask for me to do that, I’m gonna do it to my best ability."
With countless moving pieces on offense from last season to this point, many different players can emerge as a top weapon on this Steelers team. Darnell Washington is the youngest of the TE room in Pittsburgh by far, and I believe he has the most upside in terms of production and simply winning football games. When you have a guy that’s this versatile, it can be a game-changer if used the right way. Quite obviously, standing as the by far youngest TE on the roster, expect to see Washington dominate reps in pre-season, and I expect him to use that opportunity to open a lot of eyes heading into the season.
