Darnell Washington has never been more than a complementary piece in the Pittsburgh Steelers‘ offense. ESPN’s Seth Walder thinks he’s about to become one of the best in the NFL at his position.
In his Future Power Rankings for ESPN, projecting the 2027-29 window for all 32 teams, Walder made a bold prediction about the Steelers tight end.
ESPN Predicts Darnell Washington Cracks the Top 10 at Tight End
Walder believes Washington is trending toward the game’s best at the position.
“Tight end Darnell Washington will make the top 10 in Jeremy Fowler’s annual survey of coaches and executives on the best players at every position,” Walder wrote.
He backed it up with the numbers, and a note about how tight ends grow into their roles.
“He might be the Steelers’ No. 2 tight end at the moment, but Washington averaged 1.9 yards per route run last season and was in the 83rd percentile among tight ends in run block win rate,” Walder wrote. “Tight end is a position where players can develop slowly, so he has plenty of time to increase his role.”
Why Darnell Washington Could Take a Leap for the Steelers
The prediction is bold, but the reasoning behind it is real. Washington, a 2023 third-round pick out of Georgia, has long been regarded as one of the best run-blocking tight ends in football, who doubles as a sixth offensive lineman.
His 2025 season hinted at more. Washington set career highs with 31 catches for 364 yards, more receiving production than his first two seasons combined, and became a highlight-reel problem after the catch. He averaged 7.4 yards after the catch per reception and routinely ran through and stiff-armed defenders once he got the ball in space. A broken arm in Week 17 ended his year on injured reserve, cutting the breakout short.
The Steelers rewarded that growth with a four-year, $42 million extension, signing him as part of a young core they intend to build around. And the timing lines up for a bigger role. With Jonnu Smith and Connor Heyward both gone in free agency, the tight end room now runs through Pat Freiermuth and Washington.
Washington knows exactly who he is, even as his game expands, according to Brian Batko for Steelers.com.
“I know my role. I’m not going to sit here and act like I’m a pass-catching tight end, but I’m more than a blocker,” Washington said. “It’s just my God-given ability.”
There are hurdles, though.
Freiermuth remains the top receiving option at the position, and new head coach Mike McCarthy is installing a different offense than the run-heavy scheme that maximized Washington’s blocking. Some camp reports even suggested McCarthy leaning back toward Freiermuth early.
Cracking a top-10 list stacked with established stars is a tall order for a player who has never topped 400 receiving yards, and the survey tends to reward volume production as much as efficiency.
But that’s the beauty of Walder’s long-term projection for the tight end. Washington is 24, he has rare tools, and the opportunity in front of him is only growing.
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