Is Darnell Washington injured? New Steelers TE breaks silence on 2023 NFL Draft slump
One of the biggest surprises of the 2023 NFL Draft was Georgia TE Darnell Washington sliding into the third round.
Washington was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers 93rd overall. A total of seven tight ends were taken before Washington.
It was a surprise to many to see Washington slide as far down in the draft as he did, as many had him as a first-round selection. Some started to suggest that his descent in the pecking order was due to a recent surgery on his right knee.
Shortly after he was drafted, Washington addressed those concerns with the media.
"I had no injuries with my knees, never. Knock on wood. I never tore anything in the knees, anything like that. I only had a knee surgery on the right knee, but that was just cartilage flared up."
Why was Darnell Washington picked so late in 2023 NFL Draft 2023?
When a talented prospect such as Darnell Washington slides in the draft, it's for one of two reasons. Either the prospect has red flags on his character/behavior or due to medical concerns.
In Washington's case, teams had concerns about his knee. According to ESPN NFL insider Jeremy Fowler, Washington would have gone much higher than the late-third round but "medical zonked him."
New #Steelers TE Darnell Washington would have gone much higher than late-third round but "medical zonked him," as one scout said. Knee is a concern, and might not be only one, depending on the team. But as that same scout added, 'It's laughable. He will play a long time."
Darnell Washington injury history: Steelers TE faced knee issue in 2022
Washington had injury concerns heading into the draft. This is ultimately what caused him to slide into the late third round.
In 2021, he had surgery on a small fracture in his foot. He also announced that he had knee surgery on his right knee due to cartilage flaring up.
He played in 15 games last season and a total of 27 in his three-year career at Georgia. He recorded 45 receptions for 454 yards and three touchdowns in his career while averaging 17.2 yards per catch.
He's a physical tight end who is a good blocker with great size, standing at 6'7" and 265 lbs. He ran a 4.6 40-yard dash and possesses raw athleticism.
If he's healthy, Washington could become a good number two tight end for the Pittsburgh Steelers, pairing up with Pat Freiermuth.
Do you think Washington's knee injury will be a concern?