Darnell Washington makes ridiculous one-handed snag at Steelers practice
Pittsburgh Steelers rookie tight end Darnell Washington continues to impress during his team’s training camp.
The 6-foot-7, 264-pound Washington came down with a beautiful one-handed catch at practice Tuesday, drawing more than a few “Ooh’s” from Steelers fans in attendance.
It’s another example of the talent Washington possesses, and flashed during his time at Georgia. The 2023 third-round pick has routinely made these type of plays in his short time in Pittsburgh, leading many to put high expectations on him this season, albeit in a backup role behind Pat Freiermuth.
Rob Gronkowski, regarded as one of the greatest tight ends of all-time, went as far to predict that Washington will record 600 to 700 receiving yards in his rookie season.
“They’ve had a winning record since coach [Mike] Tomlin’s been there, they have a great defense,” Gronkowski said on ‘Up and Adams’ Tuesday, via Steelers Depot. “Their offense struggled last year, I think they’re gonna pick it up a bit. Darnell Washington, I think he’s gonna have a great year. I would say he’s gonna put up around 600, 700 yards and help the offense gain some first downs. A couple touchdowns in the red zone.”
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600-700 receiving yards sure seems like a bold prediction from Gronkowski, given the fact that rookie tight ends typically go through their fair share of ups and downs in their rookie campaigns. Gronkowski himself recorded 546 yards in his rookie season, though he did come down with 10 touchdowns.
Those are Gronkowski’s expectations, however, not those of the Steelers’ brass. Still, Pittsburgh has been blown away by Washington thus far, particularly after the preseason opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this past Friday. Washington came down with just one catch for nine yards, but made his impact as a blocker in the run game.
“I’m happy with Darnell and his physicality is impressive,” offensive coordinator Matt Canada said, via Steelers Now. “He had the one catch, but you know, there’s a lot there for us. He can block on the edge and do a lot of things, so that’ll be fun. We’re a long way from everybody. But young guys like that we got a lot of steps to take with them. But very, very pleased with where we were coming out of the first game.”