Back in 1971, the Pittsburgh Steelers drafted tight end Larry Brown in the fifth round of the NFL draft. Brown spent his first six seasons with the Steelers as a tight end, amassing just 48 receptions.
Head coach Chuck Noll didn’t give up on Brown. Instead, he converted the big strong run blocker into a right tackle where he started 85 games over the next eight seasons. He even made the Pro Bowl in 1982 and was enshrined into the Steelers Ring of Honor in 2019.
Why does all this matter? Because the Steelers currently have tight end Darnell Washington on the roster and he could be a prime candidate for a similar position change.
Washington was selected in the third round of the 2023 NFL draft. Washington is a mountain of a man at 6-foot-7, 265 pounds and a devastating run blocker. Pittsburgh also drafted Washington’s teammate, offensive tackle Broderick Jones in the first round of the same draft and he is entrenched in the starting lineup after a strong rookie campaign.
But with the team releasing Chuks Okorafor and the inconsistent play of Dan Moore Jr. on the left side, there is still plenty of work to be done. It might not be a switch that can happen in a single offseason but we love the idea of Washington making the switch.
