Blockbuster NFL trade opens door for Packers to make bold move for young player fans already loved before his draft year
Big trades always bring big implications in the NFL. On Monday, the Pittsburgh Steelers acquired cornerback Jalen Ramsey and tight end Jonnu Smith from the Miami Dolphins for safety Minkah Fitzpatrick and a 2027 pick swap. While the defensive backs are the bigger names involved in the deal, the tight end part of it is […]
Big trades always bring big implications in the NFL. On Monday, the Pittsburgh Steelers acquired cornerback Jalen Ramsey and tight end Jonnu Smith from the Miami Dolphins for safety Minkah Fitzpatrick and a 2027 pick swap. While the defensive backs are the bigger names involved in the deal, the tight end part of it is the one that could entice the Green Bay Packers to make a follow-up move: a potential trade for blocking tight end Darnell Washington.
The Steelers now have two tight ends over Washington on the depth chart, Smith and Pat Freiermuth. The team also has Connor Heyward and undrafted rookie J.J. Galbreath.
"Yes," A to Z Sports Steelers writer Rob Gregson said when asked if the Steelers would consider trading Washington. "Some think he's a lock to stay because of his blocking, but you don't keep a TE3 who doesn't play special teams most for blocking."
Why Darnell Washington would make sense for the Packers
Gregson's point would also apply to the Packers to some degree. He would also be the third tight end, behind Tucker Kraft and Luke Musgrave. However, Gregson projects a late Day 3 pick as a fair compensation, so it's a low-risk, decent-reward type of move.
A third-round pick in 2023, Washington has two years left on his rookie deal, just like Kraft and Musgrave, and is slated to make $1.236 million this year and $1.48 million in 2026.
More importantly, Washington brings a completely different element to the offense. While Kraft is an all-around player and Musgrave is basically a bigger wide receiver, Washington is pretty much a younger version of what the Packers had with Marcedes Lewis, as a top blocker and eventual short-yardage receiver.
Performance
Darnell Washington played 48% of the offensive snaps as a rookie and 52% in 2024, and his special teams snaps went down from 31% to 19%. That could be an issue for the Packers, but Kraft and Musgrave are both active special teamers.
The big difference is that Washington had a bigger role in the passing game, with his numbers of targets going from nine to 23. He didn't have a single drop, which is particularly valuable for the Packers after what the team endured in 2024. He had a solid 72.0 receiving grade by PFF, even though his blocking grade slightly regressed to 67.9.
Right now, the Packers have Ben Sims, John FitzPatrick, Messiah Swinson, and Johnny Lumpkin behind Kraft and Musgrave.
General manager Brian Gutekunst might not be a big fan of trading picks for veterans, but making a buy-low move for a player that Packers fans and draft analysts projected as a perfect fit two years ago, while he's still on his rookie contract, is the type of realistic exception Gutekunst would pull the trigger on.
What would the Packers have to give up for Darnell Washington?
Following the Steelers' acquisition of Jonnu Smith, it's clear that there are currently too many mouths to feed in Pittsburgh's TE room. Some have pointed to Connor Heyward as the odd man out, but Washington is the better trade asset, was the Steelers' TE2, and doesn't bring the same special-teams usage that Heyward does. That makes Washington the more likely trade candidate.
As for how much he would go for? Well, Washington was a third-round pick two years ago and hasn't been much of a contributor in the passing game. That being said, he more than doubled his targets in 2024 compared to his rookie year and nearly quadrupled his yard totals. He showed flashes of his elite athleticism when the ball was in his hands, and he is an extension of the offensive line with his run blocking.
Washington could net the Steelers a Day 3 pick. The Packers could probably acquire Washington for a late-round swap that sends the Steelers a fifth- or sixth-rounder a couple of years down the road. That's a good deal for a player with Washington's upside.
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