Pittsburgh Steelers fans were thrilled when Darnell Washington fell into their lap with the 93rd overall pick in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft. Washington was talked about as a fringe first-round prospect in a loaded tight end class, and despite some teams failing his medical exam, he was instantly thought of as one of the best value picks of the class.
While long-term health is a concern due to some teams having Washington off their board for medical reasons, he's otherwise a prototype high-floor prospect with a respectably high ceiling as well. This is the conclusion I came to on my post-draft scouting report.
If the knee concerns don't shorten his career, Washington has elite size and the overall physical makeup that could allow him to stick around the league for a long time and play at a high level. Here are my high-end, low-end, and most likely NFL player comparisons for Darnell Washington:
High-end NFL comparison: Marcedes Lewis
Marcedes Lewis is the comp that everyone likes to use for Darnell Washington, and it's not hard to see why. These two players have physical styles that mirror each other perfectly. In addition, Lewis had a nearly identical frame as Washington coming out of UCLA way back in 2006.
Though Lewis has only earned one Pro Bowl in his career, you couldn't ask for more in terms of the longevity of his career and was he has brought to the table as a blocker for 17 years in the NFL. Earlier in his career, Lewis was used as a receiver more often -- recording five straight seasons of at least 460 yards from 2008 to 2012.
However, Lewis was always respected for his blocking strength. Like Washington in college, Lewis was a people-mover in the running game and often acted as an extra offensive tackle in passing situations.
Lewis was never quick or sudden enough to be an elite receiving threat in the NFL, but his 6'7'' frame, brute strength, and overall physical makeup helped him earn a job as a starting 'Y' tight end for a very long time with the Jaguars and eventually with the Packers. This would be all we could ask for in terms of a career path for Darnell Washington.
Low-end NFL comparison: Josh Oliver
If Washington proves to be a quality blocker in the NFL but doesn't progress much as a pass-catcher, I likely low-end comparison could be a player like Josh Oliver. This isn't bad, all things considered, and Oliver has a quality niche as one of the better run-blocking tight ends in the league.
Listed at 6'5'' and 259 pounds, Oliver doesn't quite have the same freakish size or length that Washington possesses, but that doesn't hold him back from being a physical mauler in the running game from the snap. Like Washington, Oliver was a former third-round pick (69th overall) back in 2019.
Oliver actually started his career with the Jaguars but fell out of favor very quickly in Jacksonville. He played just 4 games as a rookie before landing on IR, and he never logged a snap during the 2020 season. Over the past two years with Baltimore, Oliver finally started to carve out a role as the in-line tight end, and he developed into one of the better blocking tight ends in the league in 2022.
Still, Oliver has just 230 receiving yards since coming into the league as a third-rounder in 2019. Now he's on his third NFL team after signing a very respectable three-year, $21 million deal with the Vikings. It took Oliver a while to leave his mark, and if Washington develops slowly for the Steelers, h could share a similar career route.
Most likely NFL comparison: Brandon Pettigrew
When it's all said and done, I can see Darnell Washington having a career very similar to that of Brandon Pettigrew. Though Pettigrew was a former first-round pick by the Lions back in 2009, he never quite lived up to lofty expectations.
At 6'6'' and 263 pounds, Pettigrew wasn't the most sudden route runner and didn't offer much after the catch. However, he still possessed a reliable set of hands and he excelled as a traditional in-line 'Y' tight end.
Pettigrew's best seasons came during his rookie contract where he operated as both a blocker and a pass catcher, though he never surpassed 5 touchdowns in a single season. Injuries became an issue for the big tight end, and it resulted in him having a short career that lasted just 7 seasons. He played in all 16 games just twice early in his career.
Darnell Washington and Brandon Pettigrew are remarkably similar in how they win, and it's not hard to envision a seven-year career in which he has used both a blocker and a receiver at times. Washington may not reach the peak that Pettigrew saw early in his career, but in terms of body type, play style, and how they win, I still think this is his most likely NFL player comparison.