Darnell Washington knows what a championship roster looks like. The Steelers‘ rookie tight end won two national titles as a member of the Georgia Bulldogs the past two seasons. Washington doesn’t expect the winning to end there, as he has already used the “S” word when discussing his new team.
Washington is especially optimistic when it comes to a Steelers offense that added several new players this past offseason. He feels that the offense — and the Steelers in general — are ready to compete for a championship.
“You surround the offense with players like George [Pickens] and Kenny [Pickett] and other players on the team, that’s a Super Bowl, that’s all I got to say,” Washington said shortly after being drafted in the third round (93rd overall).
To some, Washington’s optimism might seem a tad too high for an offense that averaged scoring just 18.1 points per game last season. Pittsburgh’s offense did improve as the 2022 season progressed, however, capping off the season with a 28-point effort in its Week 18 win over Cleveland.
It should also be noted that the Steelers underwent a quarterback change a month into the season. Mike Tomlin turned over the keys of the offense to Pickett, a rookie who hadn’t received many first-team reps up until that point. Pickett and the offense suffered a series of self-inflicted wounds before the unit pulled things together following the team’s Week 9 bye. The Steelers went 7-2 from that point on with Pickett engineering four game-winning drive over that span.
Pickett’s growth and the Steelers’ strong finish last season are two reasons to be optimistic. A third reason is the additions Pittsburgh made to that side of the ball during the offseason. They’ve acquired a host of offensive linemen that includes first-round pick Broderick Jones, fellow rookie Spencer Anderson, former Eagles starter Isaac Seumalo and former Jets starter Nate Herbig.
The Steelers also added two notable skill players in Washington and former Pro Bowl wideout Allen Robinson, who was acquired via a trade with the Rams before the draft. Robinson and Washington join a skill position group that already includes Pickett, former Pro Bowlers Najee Harris and Diontae Johnson, second-year wideout George Pickens and third-year tight end Pat Freiermuth.
The timing of Washington’s Super Bowl comment is fitting. Bryant McFadden, the former Steelers cornerback…
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