Dallas Cowboys Draft 2023: TE Darnell Washington scouting report

We continue with our 2023 NFL Draft draft prospect review of players that could interest the Dallas Cowboys. Today we look at a tight end Darnell Washington from the Georgia Bulldogs.

Previous prospect reviews:

DT Bryan Bresee
CB Kelee Ringo
LB Andre Carter II
CB Joey Porter Jr
WR Jalin Hyatt
OG O’Cyrus Torrence
RB Bijan Robinson
C John Michael Schmitz
RB Devon Achane
CB Devon Witherspoon
RB Jahmyr Gibbs

Darnell Washington was graded as a 5-star player out of high school. In 2020 he was ranked 23rd nationally in the recruit rankings, as such got many offers finally choosing to sign at Georgia.

In 2020 Washington played 284 snaps during his freshman season. He had seven receptions off 12 targets for 166 yards. He had no touchdowns and an average of 23.7 yards per reception. On his 16 pass blocking snaps he allowed no pressures and no sacks.

In 2021 as a sophomore his snap count went down. He played in 200 snaps for Georgia having only ten receptions for 154 yards, but he did score his first touchdown at the collegiate level. He was called again on 16 pass blocking snaps and again allowed no pressures or sacks. His run blocking however looked much improved this year.

In Washington’s junior year he managed to rack up 555 snaps on offense for Georgia. He made 28 receptions for 454 yards and added two touchdowns. He averaged 16.2 yards per reception and when targeted scored a Passer Rating of 118.8. On his 32 pass blocking snaps (which include playoff games) he once again allowed zero pressures or sacks.

Darnell Washington
Georgia Bulldogs
Junior
5-star high school recruit
Height- 6’7”
Weight- 264
Hands- 11
Arm Length- 34 3/8

NFL Combine

10-Yard Time- 1.57s
40-Yard Time- 4.64s
Bench- 21
Broad- 122
Vert- 31
Shuttle- 4.08s

Awards:
N/A

Scorecard:

Overall- 89.1/100
Catching- 84/100
Route Running- 84/100
Blocking- 91/100
Speed- 84/100
Strength- 90/100
Acceleration- 91/100
Agility- 96/100

THE GOOD

• The size and length of Washington immediately jumps out when watching tape.
• Prides himself on his blocking skills and you can clearly see he enjoys opening running lanes for backs.
• Never allowed a single pressure or sack when in pass protection.
• Massive wingspan, good arm length and mind blowing body control for a guy his size. Both allow for a huge radius for quarterbacks to throw to.
• His burst off the line and to accelerate into space is elite.
• A guy this size makes no sense as to how agile he is.
• A good catcher of the ball even away from his frame and can make difficult catches look simple.
• Hard to bring down in the open field with his speed and size but also by using his gears and agility effectively.
• No issues for a guy his size to high-point the ball.
• On run blocks he consistently drives defenders off the ball at ease. Looks more like a guard when watching him on run plays.

THE BAD

• Very little offensive production. (This was limited however due to targets going to the opposite tight end)
• Lacks the effort to separate on routes, instead opting to let his size be the separator.
• Given his speed and burst he rarely gets deep.
• Footwork on blocking can be bad (again to reliant on his size to win).
• His routes can be lazy and you never see any sharpness to them.

THE FIT

Darnell Washington is a player that confuses the eye when watching on tape due to his athletic abilities and size. Most people view him as the second coming of Gronk and when looking at the athletic scoring they are both eerily similar. One thing that is missing from Washington’s resume though is the production. He was rarely used at Georgia in the passing attack and averaged only one touchdown a season while in college is something that concerns most GMs. He’s not going to burn defenses downfield and nor should he be used that way. He is an elite blocker and a good pass catcher on short routes across the middle. Both of these factors make him an elite redzone player or for teams heavily focused in the run game.

Early second round value.
(All scout consensus ranking: 34th)

COWBOYS COMPARISON
Martellus Bennett