Steelers Meet With Intriguing Star Quarterback And Tight End During Last Hours Of Top 30 Visits

The Pittsburgh Steelers' pre-draft process is nearly done. We're just days away from the 2023 NFL Draft, and the black and gold will meet with their final three players on Tuesday. Chris Adamski of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review was first to report that the team is meeting with the following players: Tennessee offensive tackle Darnell Wright, Georgia tight end Darnell Washington, and Houston quarterback Clayton Tune.

Let's start with Washington, perhaps the most surprising name from this list. Tight end isn't exactly seen as a need for the black and gold, led by Pat Freiermuth entering his third season in 2023. Beyond him, Zach Gentry was re-signed this offseason to maintain his role as a blocker in bigger packages. Connor Heyward comes off a solid rookie campaign, as he's a jack of all trades.

Washington brings something to the table that he is hard to deny, though. Perhaps most importantly, he's a ferocious blocker, utilizing his massive frame and overall size. His athleticism is undeniable, leading many to believe that he'll be a serious red zone threat at the next level. Washington is still somewhat of a raw prospect, at least in the receiving aspect, as he had just 45 catches for 774 yards and three touchdowns in 27 career college games.

Many mock drafts have had him going in the late first round, but if he were to fall to the beginning of the second round, it's a pick that the Steelers will consider. 

Next, Wright has been connected to the Steelers in plenty of mock drafts, including my first edition last week. That is due to the team's obvious need in an offensive tackle (or two). Interestingly enough, Wright figures to project as a right tackle at the NFL level.

Whose position would Wright take in the Steelers' lineup?

While he did play some left tackle in college, he moved to right tackle in 2023 and performed exceptionally. That wouldn't mean good things for Steelers starter Chukwuma Okorafor, who could possibly move to the left side to compete with Dan Moore Jr. ESPN draft expert Louis Riddick is quite high on the Tennessee lineman, claiming that Wright will be the best player from this draft class. Of these three prospects, he seems like the most likely to end up in Pittsburgh.

Lastly, the Steelers had already shown interest in Tune in the last few months. That's no surprise at this point, as they've made it known that they want a young quarterback as their No. 3. The Houston quarterback seems to be the one that they are most interested in for that role, as he could be available for one of their two seventh-round draft picks. That will essentially do it for the Steelers' pre-draft visits, and we will soon know who will officially be coming to Pittsburgh.

What are your thoughts on these three prospects that they met with? Does the idea of Washington intrigue you? With bigger positions of need, would taking Washington be a mistake? Share your thoughts in the comment section below, yinz!

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