The Green Bay Packers have several positions they will look to improve and add depth to in the 2023 NFL Draft. One of these is the tight end position. Currently, Josiah Deguara is the only tight end on their roster signed for 2023 that has any NFL experience. As Packers fans know, Deguara is more of an H-back and not a stereotypical tight end. Of course, the team could still bring back Robert Tonyan and/or Marcedes Lewis, but that does not solve the problem of depth. Indeed, Green Bay will likely look to the draft for the future at tight end, and one of them stands out above all others.
Bleacher Report Names the Green Bay Packers as a Favorite to Draft Georgia Tight End Darnell Washington
The tight end that turned the most heads during the 2023 NFL Combine was Georgia’s Darnell Washington. It is easy to see why. Here is an incredible one-handed catch he made (thrown by former Packers quarterback Kurt Benkert, by the way):
Darnell Washington: Out of this world 👽@_Dwfootball11 | @GeorgiaFootball
📺: #NFLCombine on @nflnetwork
📱: Stream on NFL+ pic.twitter.com/AiX4331nDG— NFL (@NFL) March 5, 2023
Making fantastic catches aside, Washington is known as a tight end that blocks like an offensive lineman, and his college tape certainly shows that:
Run blocking reps from Georgia TE Darnell Washington
There are few tight ends with this kind of profile. pic.twitter.com/dFB51KflMn
— Nick Falato (@nickfalato) March 6, 2023
As seen in this clip, he is certainly the strongest tight end who attended the combine:
Darnell Washington pushing the sled then other TEs for reference. 😳
Some GM is gonna get an extra OL who is also fast and can catch. pic.twitter.com/lIU20evvxV
— Jon Tweets Sports (@jontweetssports) March 5, 2023
As one might imagine, there are several teams who will be interested in the Georgia product. Bleacher Report named the Packers, Bengals, Cowboys, and Saints as potential teams that may draft Washington.
Will the Packers Draft Darnell Washington?
News Joshua L Jones
Despite his showing at the NFL Combine, there are still some concerns about Washington. Yes, he is a superb blocker, but he only has 45 receptions for 774 yards and three touchdowns combined in his three seasons at Georgia. He is far from an elite receiving threat as it stands right now. In addition, he is not very explosive and struggles as the lead blocker down field.
Ian Cummings of The Draft Network had this to say regarding Washington:
“Although Washington has a dominating frame with elite length and mass, his on-field explosiveness is above-average at best, and far below the elite mark. He’s a slow-striding athlete who lacks great burst, and he doesn’t have much lateral movement freedom or fluidity in his hips. Washington’s linear, lumbering mold actively constrains his upside as a route runner and separator and limits the number of ways he can be used.
“While Washington may test as an excellent athlete, his functional athleticism is more confined. For that reason, he’s not going to be an elite, all-encompassing receiving threat at the NFL level. That said, Washington’s unique size, strength, and physicality do open a clear path to success.”
Washington is projected to be a Day Two pick, which fits on where the Packers usually draft tight ends. They have not drafted a tight end in the first round since Bubba Franks in 2000.
Washington would fit the Packers offense in the sense that he embraces blocking and could be a dangerous big target in the red zone. At 6’7″ and 264 pounds, he would certainly be hard to miss. If he is there when Green Bay picks in the second round, it would be hard to pass him up.
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