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The Pittsburgh Steelers selected a tight end with their third-round pick last week, making former Georgia Bulldog Darnell Washington the 93rd player off the board.
Washington entered the draft as a potential late first-rounder, as his rare combination of size and athleticism indicates that he has plenty of potential. However, he suffered a sizable slide due to concerns over his medical background.
Naturally, fantasy managers will be curious to know how much weight they should place on Washington's injury history. Let's look into the situation further.
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Darnell Washington Injury News
Washington sustained several foot injuries during his time at Georgia. One happened during the 2022 CFP Semifinal against Ohio State, and another occurred in August 2021, leading him to miss the beginning of that season.
UGA sources: Darnell Washington & Tykee Smith are each expected to miss 3-4 weeks minimum with foot injuries sustained in practice yesterday.
Unlikely to be available vs Clemson.
— Josh Pate (@LateKickJosh) August 18, 2021
Moreover, Washington's pre-draft medical evaluations reportedly led some teams to be concerned about a knee issue.
Georgia standout tight end Darnell Washington, who excelled in games last season, has been pushed down on some #NFL teams' draft boards due to a knee issue, per league sources. Unclear how far he falls from original grades, which were high.
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) April 29, 2023
How worried should fantasy managers be about Washington's health? Will these ailments lead to issues with him being ready for the upcoming season?
Is Darnell Washington Healthy or Injured?
After being drafted by the Steelers, Washington quickly downplayed the concerns surrounding his knee. He claimed he had a minor cartilage issue with his right knee that had been dealt with.
Darnell Washington: "Some teams talked about some knee swelling. For me, I had no injury with my knees ever, knock on wood. I never tore anything in the knees. I had knee surgery on the right knee, but that was just cartilage that flaked up, they went in and cleaned it."
— Nick Farabaugh (@FarabaughFB) April 29, 2023
It is also important to note that Washington played in all 15 of Georgia's games last season; although he suffered one of his foot injuries in the CFP Semifinal, he did still play in the National Championship nine days later.
Washington should have no issue playing in Week 1 this season unless something changes between now and September. Washington's fantasy stock probably took more of a hit from his landing spot, where he'll fight to take snaps from Pat Freiermuth, than specific injury reasons. His lower draft capital than classmates like Sam LaPorta and Luke Musgrave also hurts his dynasty outlook.
With that said, Washington has incredible potential as a 6'7", 264-pound tight end who runs a 4.64 40-yard dash and blocks like a lineman. The Steelers may have found an amazing value in the third round.
For more information about this year's crop of rookies, check out RotoBaller's Updated 2023 Fantasy Football Rookie Rankings: Post-NFL Draft.
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