Darnell Washington TE should be our pick inthe 2nd round

[xwalker]

The Combine also does a very poor job of measuring upper body strength. The only test that attempts to measure it is the 2-plate bench press, which is statistically just noise.

Washington is a pretty crazy mover for his size, and the Combine captured that, but he's also just physically stronger than every other TE this year, and the Combine didn't record that.

On a side note, I think the NFL should replace the bench press with a medicine ball throw. The Combine bench press is an endurance test in a sport where most plays last 5 seconds. A ball throw would measures a player's ability to instantly generate power inside that window.

The sled drill showed that he was significantly stronger thant the other TEs.

 

[Hawkeye0202]

My pet cat........I'm running the card up if he makes to our 2nd

 

[btcutter]

There was zero chance Washington was going to last to 58 before the combine.

There is less than zero % chance now

I hope he goes high because I don't want him. This team needs football players in the first 3 rounds of the draft. I don't need projects who may just be Tarzan but plays like Jane.

 

[baltcowboy]

It would be sooo tempting to take him. Running 12 with him and Ferguson could be a real problem for defenses. I love that type of smash mouth / mismatch football.

If the Cowboys want to improve the running game and help Dak. The 12 personnel is the way to go. Dak played his best ball in 2021 when had Jarwin and Shultz out there together.

 

[locked&loaded]

I hope he goes high because I don't want him. This team needs football players in the first 3 rounds of the draft. I don't need projects who may just be Tarzan but plays like Jane.

he may end up producing receptions like jane but he definitely doesnt play like jane. like a lot of people in here have been saying for weeks, even before he blew the doors off the combine, hes instantly a top 5 blocking tightend and an absolute road grader at the position.

 

[Rayman70]

if we did this I can almost guarantee ya Jerry aint drafting or signing a wr. In his mind we are set if we drafted this kid. Jerry and Stevie will then say they drafted Jalen Tolbert last year and he needs 2 play. Just watch.

 

[John813]

He's a top 40 pick, if not the back 12 of the first IMO

 

[btcutter]

he may end up producing receptions like jane but he definitely doesnt play like jane. like a lot of people in here have been saying for weeks, even before he blew the doors off the combine, hes instantly a top 5 blocking tightend and an absolute road grader at the position.

2nd round TE road grader isn't my cup of tea. IMO, 2nd round TE should be a receiving threat. This team has way too many holes to have that luxury of using a 2nd round pick on him.

 

[rambo2]

2nd round TE road grader isn't my cup of tea. IMO, 2nd round TE should be a receiving threat. This team has way too many holes to have that luxury of using a 2nd round pick on him.

Washington is a receiving threat. Georgia just didn't throw to him very often.

 

[locked&loaded]

2nd round TE road grader isn't my cup of tea. IMO, 2nd round TE should be a receiving threat. This team has way too many holes to have that luxury of using a 2nd round pick on him.

thats his floor. the draft is objectively a gamble...a crap shoot. Look at how many busts regularly occur within the first round every year. there are simply no guarantees.

the fact is, we need a tight end and we also want to run the ball better. Washington gives us the opportunity to do both with one pick. if Washington had better receiving stats, which is partially a product of opportunity, he would be a top 15 pick. theres always question marks with these guys.

just need to do our due diligence. Washington can obviously catch and he proved he has both the long speed and short area quickness, combined with the size, to routinely get open. on paper, through physical testing and when given the opportunity at Georgia, he was a mismatch.

he may not live up to the hype, but hes definitely deserving of it.

 

[btcutter]

thats his floor. the draft is objectively a gamble...a crap shoot. Look at how many busts regularly occur within the first round every year. there are simply no guarantees.

the fact is, we need a tight end and we also want to run the ball better. Washington gives us the opportunity to do both with one pick. if Washington had better receiving stats, which is partially a product of opportunity, he would be a top 15 pick. theres always question marks with these guys.

just need to do our due diligence. Washington can obviously catch and he proved he has both the long speed and short area quickness, combined with the size, to routinely get open. on paper, through physical testing and when given the opportunity at Georgia, he was a mismatch.

he may not live up to the hype, but hes definitely deserving of it.

He might turn out to be a great pick. But I don't need another Martellus Bennett. Take more than just athleticism to play TE position. Seen too many of those who never pan out in NFL. Subtle movements, positioning, understanding defense in order to get open in tight spaces and be QB friendly. He's not for me in the first 2 rounds. JMO.

 

[Macnalty]

Don't think he makes it to 58 with the combine he just had. He was Borderline rd1. Is that reaching, yes because the production isn't there. The size and the underwear Olympics will raise his stock. The TE everybody should be wanting is Bowers but that's not until next yr.

I saw nothing on him that takes him out of the first round. Frankly, my jaw dropped with some of his catches and runs.

 

[darthseinfeld]

This dude is what we need to go along with Hendershot and Ferguson. He can block and make the contested catch.

Might not even make to our 1st rounder

 

[Pass2Run]

I think the difference comes down to readiness and floor vs. potential ceiling. Granted, maybe Washington didn't have the TDs. But on the back end, sometimes that happens for a reason. Coaches may hold players back or the scheme.

That's the part that's important to dig into when you evaluate. That will help when vetting your own decision.

 

[Pass2Run]

It would be sooo tempting to take him. Running 12 with him and Ferguson could be a real problem for defenses. I love that type of smash mouth / mismatch football.

Doesn't strike you as a little boom or bust first round?

To me, he's the prototypical Jerry Jones round 2 player, which is the point of the post.

Question marks, but overall great talent. Not sure what those question marks are, but the lack of college production could set the price.

If you want a round 1, day 1 ready TE, it's Mayer.

 

[AsthmaField]

Doesn't strike you as a little boom or bust first round?

To me, he's the prototypical Jerry Jones round 2 player, which is the point of the post.

Question marks, but overall great talent. Not sure what those question marks are, but the lack of college production could set the price.

If you want a round 1, day 1 ready TE, it's Mayer.

It definitely is a little boom or bust. That I why I called it tempting. If he was already good in the passing game, I wouldn’t be tempted… I’d just want to pick him.

Typically though, I will go for a guy like Mayer over Washington, every time. However, Washington‘s ceiling is so high, and his blocking is currently, probably top 5 in the NFL, already. If he were to become a polished receiver, like Mayer, he would be a very real weapon for a team.

Understand that I do love a bruising running game and really want to get it going in Dallas this year. Washington would go a long way to helping that… and he’d do that right away.

I don’t know if you’ve ever played any defense, but when you are playing against a good, punishing running game, where the TE(s) are good blockers, it takes a lot out of you as a secondary player. It is rough. When those good blocking TE(s) are really good pass catchers and the offense starts running play action passes… it becomes downright miserable for the guys that have to cover those guys. It becomes so difficult to stop.

So, with Washington, I can envision a 12 personnel package with him and Ferguson playing TE, blocking like crazy for Pollard and whoever else is sharing the backfield. That could be a very good running game, in part because Washington is such a brutal blocker. But if he were to start to meet his ability in the passing game, it could be very difficult for defenses to stop.

That is why I would like him on the team… but it is somewhat of a projection. ie, boom-or-bust. And I’d love to get him in the second, but he’ll be long gone by the Cowboys second round pick.

The truth is, I like all 3 TE’s a lot (Washington, Mayer, and Kincaid), and I could be happy with any of the 3. However, if I was Dallas and actually going to make the pick… it very well might be Mayer over Washington for me, just because of the reasons you mention. He’s already a good blocker. As good as Washington? No, but good. And he’s already pretty accomplished as a receiver. Washington’s ceiling as a receiver is above Mayer’s… but for now, Mayer is pretty far ahead of Washington in that department.

So yeah, I might would go with Mayer if I were making the pick. Like you mention; he’d be ready to go day 1. But like I said… Washington is tempting.

And really, the guy I’d want the most is Kincaid because he is already better as a receiver than either of the other two guys ever will be, IMO, and he might have the best hands I’ve ever seen.

 

[Pass2Run]

By the way, the other TE who I think people are missing the boat on is Zack Kuntz.

 

[AsthmaField]

By the way, the other TE who I think people are missing the boat on is Zack Kuntz.

Well, he definitely blew up the combine, so he is kind of on everyone’s radar now.

I haven’t really spent any time digging in to his game yet, so I know very little about how he plays. What is it about his play that makes you think he’s going to be a good player?

 

[AbeBeta]

Totally. 2nd round TE has-been our wheelhouse for years!

 

[Nemesis4u]

The way he will help our running game would be very good at this point im taking him at 26 but id prefer a small trade back and draft him.