Falcons Draft Profile Darnell Washington: Strengths, weaknesses, prediction
Strengths and weaknesses
Strengths:
Starting with his size, Darnell Washington can take it to the defenders on the football field. He is simply a tank that no one wants to tackle, and it will transfer perfectly to the NFL level. Anyone who turns on a game with Darnell Washington will immediately notice him because of how tall and bulky he is. I remember watching the National Championship a few months ago and when the game went to halftime they showed the Bulldogs walking into the locker room and you couldn't help but laugh seeing him walk amongst what looked like a bunch of children.
He loves being physical; he is not done with a play until he has sent a defender crashing to the ground, which he is routinely able to do because he can bully others with his size. You will see him basically pick up the defender and throw him. When he gets it right, it is a lot of fun to watch.
His 11-inch hands have to be included here because it is unheard of. It will allow him to lock the ball in his hands when defenders are trying to break it up. Washington will be able to hold onto passes that others are simply not able to. Then you consider his size and he could become an unstoppable receiver in-traffic and in short-yardage situations.
He was also able to make a few "wow" catches that show off his potential while also having some "wow" run after catch plays where he shrugs off tacklers like they are preschoolers, just ask Oregon. He looked like Blooper shoving kids to the ground. Washington actually ended his monster run by hurdling someone. If I had to compare him to any player, it would certainly have to be Blooper.
the return of King Bloopy đź‘‘ pic.twitter.com/2bB8xvfeYn
— Blooper (@BlooperBraves) December 17, 2022
Weaknesses:
Darnell Washington, although he had limited opportunities, struggled to get open. He ran casual routes that often have no punch to them. While he is impressively fast for his size, that doesn't mean he is going to outrun people, because he isn't, especially when he gets to the NFL. Defenders are able to run with him, especially on those rounded routes.
He doesn't have a great feel for finding holes in zone defenses, which is something he must work on. You will see him drift right into defenders.
Washington's speed and stiffness prevent him from firing out of breaks. Georgia, oftentimes, just used him on drag routes instead of stemmed routes. That is the other thing, he didn't have much production and had limited opportunities—much in part because he was sharing the position with the all-mighty Brock Bowers.
Here are his stats through his three seasons with the Dawgs:
- 2020: 4 games | 7 receptions | 166 yards | 0 TDs
- 2021: 8 games | 10 receptions | 154 yards | 1 TD
- 2022: 15 games | 28 receptions | 454 yards | 2 TDs
As you can see, those are not good stats so you will be banking on the notion that he wasn't given enough opportunities at UGA and will continue to develop.
And, finally, quicker players can get the best of him when he is going in for the block. He needs to refine his footwork when blocking.
Summary:
It is cut and dry what Darnell Washington is and what he isn't. He is a big, imposing, physical freak at the tight end position. He has good speed relative to his size but won't run past many defenders. He is comfortable using his size and is a feisty blocker who loves to sit defenders on their backside. However, he isn't a tight end who will create separation by himself and instead has to use his body to box out defenders. It will be imperative for him to land with a team who will put him in the right situations.