Who Should I Start? Darnell Washington or Jeremy Ruckert

Saturday, March 21, 4:53 PM

Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Darnell Washington has officially jumped to No. 2 on the depth chart after the team released Jonnu Smith. Washington has never finished higher than TE39 in his three NFL seasons, but that could change next year as he takes on a larger role. He's technically listed behind Pat Freiermuth, but given how often the Steelers deployed two-tight end sets in 2025, we wouldn't be surprised to see Washington consistently get on the field for more than two-thirds of the offensive snaps. A physical specimen at 6-foot-7 and 265 pounds, Washington has shown a tendency to get open and make plays with the ball in his hands. He averaged 2.3 catches and 5.3 fantasy points per game from Weeks 11 through 17 last year, starting to trend up in dynasty leagues. The next big step for Washington is taking on a larger role around the goal line. For someone as tall and large as Washington, we'd expect him to have more than two touchdowns through three seasons. If he can take on a bigger role and get more looks around the end zone in new offensive coordinator Brian Angelichio's system, then Washington could become one of the more intriguing handcuffs in his role alongside Freiermuth. Tight end-needy managers in deep dynasty leagues should consider offering a late-round draft pick for Washington, because he has the potential to offer streaming appeal at times next year.