The Green Bay Packers made an effort to surround quarterback Jordan Love with more help this offseason. They drafted wide receivers Matthew Golden and Savion Williams, along with offensive tackles Anthony Belton and John Williams. In free agency, they added veteran guard Aaron Banks and brought in Mecole Hardman. The team hopes these additions will accelerate Love’s development and boost the offense’s overall performance.
Green Bay has one of the league’s best pass-blocking offensive lines and a young, promising receiving corps. They also feature a solid one-two tight end combination and one of the top running backs in the league, Josh Jacobs. However, after seeing how the Philadelphia Eagles and Detroit Lions surrounded Jalen Hurts and Jared Goff with talent and maximized their potential, the Packers should remain alert for future opportunities to add more talent to their offense.
Given the current NFL landscape and the recent trade between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Miami Dolphins involving Jalen Ramsey, Minkah Fitzpatrick, and Jonnu Smith, AtoZ Sports’ Wendell Ferreira suggests that a move sending Steelers tight end Darnell Washington to Green Bay could make sense.
"Gregson's point would also apply to the Packers to some degree. He would also be the third tight end, behind Tucker Kraft and Luke Musgrave. However, Gregson projects a late Day 3 pick as a fair compensation, so it's a low-risk, decent-reward type of move," Wendell wrote.
"A third-round pick in 2023, Washington has two years left on his rookie deal, just like Kraft and Musgrave, and is slated to make $1.236 million this year and $1.48 million in 2026," he added.
Wendell also pointed to a different element Washington could bring to Green Bay, referencing a veteran tight end who recently spent time with the team.
"More importantly, Washington brings a completely different element to the offense. While Kraft is an all-around player and Musgrave is basically a bigger wide receiver, Washington is pretty much a younger version of what the Packers had with Marcedes Lewis, as a top blocker and eventual short-yardage receiver," he wrote.
The Steelers have Pat Freiermuth as their top tight end and added Jonnu Smith, who played under offensive coordinator Arthur Smith with the Atlanta Falcons. Smith was a key part of the Falcons’ offense during Arthur’s time there, and their familiarity suggests he could have a significant role in Pittsburgh. With Darnell Washington entering the season as possibly the third-string tight end, it is unclear how much playing time he will see. Given that context, a trade could be a viable option for the Packers.
Tucker Kraft should open the 2025 season as Green Bay’s starting tight end, and a healthy Luke Musgrave should also see increased playing time. While Darnell Washington may have a hard time earning a starting role, his presence would add even more physicality to Green Bay’s trenches—a point of emphasis for the team this offseason. It would be a low-risk, high-reward move for the Packers.
