Pittsburgh Steelers 2023 third-round decide Darnell Washington performs tight finish, so he is aware of a factor or two concerning the place.
Nevertheless, when he was requested by teammate Patrick Peterson and former Steeler Bryant McFadden on their “All Issues Coated” podcast to call his top-five tight ends heading into 2023, each had been shocked when Washington’s record didn’t embody Kansas Metropolis Chiefs All-Professional tight finish Travis Kelce.
“Travis Kelce is nice, he’s nice, he’s put up the numbers,” Washington stated. “Sure, he’s listed as a good finish and issues like that, he’s in tight finish formations right here and there, however prefer to me, he’s only a greater receiver. He’s primarily cut up out. That’s simply (the Chiefs) offense.”
Washington’s record did embody Pittsburgh’s Pat Freiermuth, San Francisco’s George Kittle, New York’s Darren Waller, Baltimore’s Mark Andrews and Arizona’s Zach Ertz.
The 21-year-old rookie in contrast Kelce’s utilization to Kyle Pitts when he was on the College of Florida and Brock Bowers on the College of Georgia, the place each lined up much less as conventional tight ends and had been used employed extra as slot receivers.
Regardless of having among the greatest numbers for a good finish in 2019 (54 receptions, 649 yards, 5 touchdowns), Pitts didn’t win the John Mackey Award, which is given yearly to the highest tight finish in school soccer. The identical goes for Bowers, who regardless of totaling 56 receptions, 882 yards and 13 touchdowns as a freshman in 2021, didn’t win the Mackey Award both.
Whether or not you agree or not with Washington’s evaluation, Kelce is having a Corridor of Fame profession. A four-time All-Professional and eight-time Professional Bowler, Kelce ranks fourth amongst tight ends in NFL historical past in receptions (814) and receiving yards (10,344), sixth in touchdowns (69) and first in yards per sport (71.8).
The 33-year-old turned the quickest tight finish to succeed in 10,000 yards and 800 receptions, and he owns the NFL file for many consecutive 1,000-yard seasons by a good finish (seven).