Why the Bengals aren't likely to target Darnell Washington
An important box isn’t checked for one of the NFL Draft’s best athletes.
It doesn't take a football savant to discern how special Darnell Washington is.
The former Georgia tight end is set to enter the NFL with an absurd combination of size and athleticism for his position.
Put it all together, and you get a fascinating skill position talent.
All of that is objectively true, but one component in Washington's overall profile is lacking, and it's what may keep him off the Cincinnati Bengals' radar.
For all his special ability as a tight end, Washington never produced at a high level for the Bulldogs. His most productive season was his last, in which he hauled in just 28 receptions for 454 yards and two touchdowns. He accounted for just 10% of Georgia's passing offense, and he totaled even less than that during his first two seasons combined.
This may not come as a surprise if you're aware of Georgia's offense. The high-powered unit was led by the guy in front of Washington, tight end Brock Bowers. The true sophomore built off an impressive freshman season with an even better second year in Athens. Bowers came away as Georgia's leading receiver, recording 63 receptions for 942 yards and seven scores.
Washington never became Georgia's main option at the position, but that wasn't inherently a negative. The passing game wasn't where Washington thrived the most. His sheer dominance in the run game created many of the highlights you see nowadays on his tape. The man is a straight mauler in run blocking.
There's value to that, but how much? That's the multi-million dollar question for the Bengals.
Very rarely have the Bengals invested a first-round pick in a player who wasn't noticeably productive in college for at least one season. Think about the most recent skill players they've drafted within, or close to, the first 32 picks. Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, John Ross, Joe Mixon, and Tyler Boyd all had the production box checked on their collegiate resumes. Yes, even Ross lit up the stat sheet before he was a Bengal.
The one case you can argue against this happened to be a tight end: Drew Sample. What was his perceived forte coming out of college? Run blocking.
Is it a bad faith comparison? Absolutely. Washington is twice the athlete compared to Sample, who was a consensus reach in the middle of the second round back in 2019. Washington's physicality instills the idea of untapped upside in the passing game. It's entirely plausible he becomes a much more productive receiver in the NFL as a starting tight end.
But that doesn't mean it's not a risk to bank on that. The Bengals typically don't take risks when drafting skill players this early. Frankly, it doesn't really matter what round it is. If your job is to run or catch the ball, and you didn't do much of that in college, the Bengals probably won't consider drafting you.
Washington is loads of fun to watch, and there's a good chance he'll be picked before the Bengals could even pass on him. If they do get that chance, expect a different direction to be taken.
