TE Darnell Washington Visits Panthers, Cowboys

This year’s tight end class is said to be far deeper and more talented than any of those in the recent past. Darnell Washington is one of several highly-touted prospects at the position, and has drawn interest from multiple teams in the pre-draft process.

The Georgia product recently met with the Panthers and Cowboys, as noted by Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 and ESPN’s Todd Archer (Twitter links). Those teams are in far different situations with respect to their draft positioning, but they likely aren’t the only ones doing their homework on the uber-athletic pass catcher.

Washington spent three seasons with the Bulldogs, and the 2022 campaign was his most productive. He totaled 28 catches for 454 yards and a pair of touchdowns, all new career highs. Those numbers (along with his prowess as a run blocker) helped lead Georgia to another national championship, and confirmed his status as one of the top tight ends in this year’s class. He followed that up with an impressive showing at the Combine, during which he ran a 4.64-second 40-yard dash.

The Panthers will use the top pick on a quarterback, the identity of which seems to be coming into focus as the first round approaches. Their next selection is No. 39, which would likely be in the range for Washington and most other seam-stretchers this year. Carolina has already made a big move at the TE spot this offseason, inking Hayden Hurst to a three-year, $21.75MM deal in free agency.

The Cowboys, on the other hand, have yet to make an addition on the open market. Longtime starter Dalton Schultz took a one-year pact with the Texans, despite Dallas reportedly having offered a significantly more lucrative extension. That leaves the latter team in need of a new No. 1 option at the position; while in-house candidates are in place, the Cowboys have frequently been connected to using a Day 1 or 2 selection on a tight end.

Dallas owns pick No. 26, which could be around the time the first tight ends start coming off the board. Washington faces competition from Michael Mayer and Dalton Kincaid in particular to be the first to hear their name called at the position, and several high-profile prospects will last into the second and third rounds. The Cowboys have the 58th and 90th selections, which will give them multiple chances to add a seam-stretcher, be it Washington or another prospect they take an extended look at.