Georgia football: Darnell Washington is an insanely good playmaker

Georgia football tight end Darnell Washington continues to grow into his role with the Dawgs, and what he did against Vanderbilt on Saturday proved he is not human. The jokes of whether Washington is a government science project, an alien, or a robot flew all over social media after we all watched him make catch after catch on Vandy’s secondary.

He embodies what the NFL wants in a tight end. Washington is one of the best blockers on the team. His route running is drastically improving, and Washington is learning how to create just enough space to reach his big paw up there and make incredible catches. This Vanderbilt performance was his best yet, but Washington has been making plays all season.

Starting quarterback Stetson Bennett is beginning to trust him more because Washington is getting more than just one catch a game.

Georgia football tight end Darnell Washington is just what NFL scouts want.

Against the Commodores, Washington recorded four catches on six targets for 78 yards. He didn’t score a touchdown, but he did lead the team with 33 yards after the catch. One of his four grabs was a 34-yarder, where he made a one-handed catch that moved the chains.

He didn’t make those catches last year, but Washington’s confidence continues to grow, and he trusts himself and Bennett. Head coach Kirby Smart talked about how much he had developed in the offseason and took on a more meaningful role, but he had to work for it.

Washington has 16 catches for 285 yards on the season, averaging 17.81 yards a catch. He has already surpassed his stats from last season, where Washington recorded 10 catches in 11 games for 154 yards and one score.

Georgia needs to use him and show how massive of a weapon he is for the Dawgs. No one else has a Brock Bowers and a Darnell Washington in their lineup. The Dawgs do, and using them both isn’t a knock at the receivers, but what Georgia has to do while the wideouts get healthy.

If Washington keeps this performance up, he will impress NFL scouts and could find himself getting selected in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft. It’s clear Washington trusts his game, and if he stays healthy, that stat line will only look better and better.