Steelers rookie TE Darnell Washington earns praise from Mike Tomlin

There’s a lot of eyes on the rookies at Pittsburgh Steelers training camp, most notably with first-round selection Broderick Jones and second-round pick Joey Porter Jr. However, Darnell Washington is also having a lot of attention thrown his way.

The tight end from Georgia was selected with the No. 93 overall pick, and appears to look like more of a blocker with a 6’7, 265-pound frame, but Mike Tomlin doesn’t believe he’s just that.

“You’d think sometimes that because of his stature and reputation, you’d think he’s one-dimensional, but you’d be wrong,” Tomlin said.

In his three years at Georgia, Washington was primarily a blocking tight end, catching just 45 passes for 774 yards and three touchdowns during his collegiate career.

While Pat Freiermuth is the go-to tight in Matt Canada’s offense this season, don’t be surprised to see Washington get targets.

Utilizing someone of his size as a receiver will create a number of mismatches across the field, especially against undersized linebackers and nickel cornerbacks.

Washington adds a dimension of the offense that Pittsburgh and quarterback Kenny Pickett weren’t privy to last year. If the Steelers can utilize him correctly, and perhaps unlock some new skills in his game, he could prove to be quite the steal.