The Green Bay Packers went into the 2023 off-season with 14 pending free agents. A number of those free agents have already signed elsewhere or been re-signed by the Green Bay Packers. To name a few; Jarran Reed (Seattle), Allen Lazard (New York Jets), Dean Lowry (Minnesota), an Robert Tonyan (Chicago) have all signed elsewhere. Names like Keisean Nixon and Rudy Ford have been retained by the Green Bay Packers. With Robert Tonyan and (possibly) Marcedes Lewis not returning for the 2023 season, the Packers will certainly be looking to add a tight end this off-season through free agency or the draft. Today, they brought in one massive prospect.
Green Bay Packers Officially Host Tight End Darnell Washington
Darnell Washington, the monster 6 ft 7 Georgia tight end, was in Green Bay according to his Instagram. According to Ethan Thomas of Zone Coverage:
Washington was an absolute multi-sport beast at Desert Plains High School in Las Vegas. He was a standout two-way player for the football team and averaged 11 points and 12 rebounds per game as a basketball star. He was rated one of the top 25 recruits in the country before joining the Georgia Bulldogs ready to play as a true freshman.
His production increased each year at Georgia playing in 34 total games in his 3-year career. He started his Junior season on the preseason watch list for the John Mackey award(given to the nation’s outstanding collegiate tight end) and ended hauling in 26 catches for 417 yards and 2 touchdowns with a QB rating of 105.9 when targeted.
Despite having some non NFL ready areas, as all tight ends do, his list of scouting report strengths according to Draft Buzz read incredibly.
– Washington is a huge tight end standing 6-7 and weighing in at 270lbs – who has the power and drive-blocking ability of a tackle
– As a blocker Washington is elite, he stands out as elite as a run blocker and you could easily mistake him for a seasoned pulling guard
– As a pass blocker he is outstanding and easily handles blitzing LBs on the edge. In the 72 instances when he was used strictly in pass protection he didn’t give up a single pressure
– Elite catch radius and has impressive soft strong hands to help pull down errant passes
– He’s a powerful open-field runner with agility, and surprising quickness and speed given his size
– Knee-bend and technique are good and Washington shows decent power when his hands hit the target.
– His long arms allow him to play bigger even bigger than his size, which is scary, and he has a frame that can carry even more weight– He’s a coordinated hands catcher who does a nice job digging out low throws. He’s very good with the ball in his hands, a violent runner after the catch, and often able to fend off defenders with a straight arm.
– Washington has a tapered build and strong hands, ripping the ball back with ease when defensive backs manage to get a hold of it.
– He’s very good in contested-catch situations, using his frame effectively to make plays facing the quarterback. He also shows a knack for high-pointing the ball, consistently outmuscling defensive backs.
Big Dog Jr, aka Darnell Washington is visiting with the Green Bay Packers 👀
(via @_Dwfootball11 IG) #NFLDraft2023 pic.twitter.com/PACpW79pEC
— Hogg (@HoggNFL) March 21, 2023
The Green Bay Packers drafting Washington in the 2023 NFL Draft could be a potential long term solution at a position that the Packers have struggled with consistency for years. It would provide a huge target and security blanket for new QB1 Jordan Love.
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