Bills Set for Draft Visit with 'Rare' Georgia TE Darnell Washington
The Buffalo Bills are in the final few weeks of preparing for the upcoming 2023 NFL Draft. In the coming days, they will continue to schedule prospects for top-30 visits as they try and narrow down their draft board.
Georgia Bulldogs tight end Darnell Washington is reportedly one of the latest prospects to visit the Bills at Orchard Park, per reports Tuesday from KPRC2 in Houston.
While tight end does not stand out as a position of need for the Bills since they already employ Dawson Knox, the thought of pairing Washington with Knox would be intriguing.
NFL.com's scouting report labels Washington as a tight end with "rare size and power," as his athleticism and physical tools has teams interested.
The former Bulldog enters the NFL Draft without the receiving résumé of his counterparts. In his three years at Georgia, Washington caught just 45 passes for 774 yards and three touchdowns.
But don't write him off your wish list completely, as Washington's role on Georgia's offense was still important. While Brock Bowers received much of the spotlight as the go-to play-maker at tight end, Washington was the top-tier blocker. With his frame and strength, he essentially gave Georgia another offensive tackle at 6-7, 280 pounds.
He didn't just help out in the running game though, as he was also frequently asked to match up with defensive ends in one-on-one situations as a pass protector as well. In his time at Georgia, Washington even had to face Alabama's Will Anderson one-on-one from time to time, a projected top-five draft pick in this class.
Despite his abilities as a pass-catcher not saturating the game tape, Washington did show flashes of where he could be used in the NFL, like being a target in the red zone that quarterbacks can throw it up to or even as a play-maker in the middle of the field who's a handful to bring down.
Yes, the Bills have bigger needs like at running back, offensive tackle, and maybe even at receiver. Yet if all else fails, Washington may be one of the best players available at No. 27 overall.
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