Parker Washington, WR Penn State: Offseason 2023 NFL Draft Profile

Washington was a four-star recruit from William B. Travis High School in Richmond, Texas in the class of 2020

Penn State saw Jahan Dotson go in the first round several months ago. Nittany Lions fans hope slot receiver Parker Washington will follow in Dotson’s footsteps. The junior isn’t as fast as Dotson, but he shows flashes of first round potential. Let’s take a look at Washington’s 2023 NFL Draft profile.

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Parker Washington, WR Penn State: 2023 NFL Draft Profile

Classification: Third year sophomore slot receiver from Sugar Land, Texas

Background: Washington was a four-star recruit from William B. Travis High School in Richmond, Texas in the class of 2020. He was the No. 276 recruit according to 247Sports, No. 158 for Rivals, and No. 365 for On3.com. Washington was an unranked three-star recruit for ESPN with a 78 grade out of 100. He tallied 75 receptions for 1,486 yards and 18 touchdowns as a high school junior and 54 receptions for 908 yards and 14 touchdowns as a senior. His team won the Texas District 20-6A title in 2019. Washington was selected for the Hall of Fame World Bowl and Offense-Defense All-American Bowl. His father (Christopher Washington) played football for the Air Force Academy and Mississippi State. His cousins include Joshua Dobbs (football- Tennessee & Pittsburgh Steelers), Tyler Tolbert (baseball- UAB & Kansas City Royals), and Stephen Dobbs (baseball- UAB).

2021 Production: 13 games, 64 receptions, 820 yards, 4 touchdowns

2020 Production: 9 games, 36 receptions, 489 yards, 6 touchdowns

Injuries & Off-Field: Volunteered at Hearts of Kids Social Services and the Balogun and James Foundation

Awards: 2020 Freshman Second-Team All-America (The Athletic), Fall 2021 Academic All-Big Ten honoree

Pros: Drops and fumbles aren’t a concern, special teams experience in 2020, better high pointing the football and making plays on contested catches that you would expect for a player his size, comfortable making catches high or low outside his frame, large catch radius for a small player, explosive leaper, not a true burner but he can pull away from defenders after the catch, shifty in space, has several one-handed grabs on his tape, continues working for the quarterback when the play breaks down, dense frame that suggests he can improve as a blocker and tackle breaker

Cons: Slot-only option, doesn’t break many tackles at his size, lacks elite speed and twitch, doesn’t always separate as much as you would like, limited reps against press coverage (because he plays in the slot), physically limited as a blocker, not a true burner, lots of schemed touches and slants, route tree remains confined to slot roles, hasn’t been the offense’s top option yet

Overview: Washington is unofficially listed at 5'10", 215 lbs. He has elite ball skills that often arise in one-handed catches, explosive vertical grabs over defenders, and snags while going to the ground. Washington has a unique build that suggests a creative coach can use him as more than just a slot receiver at the next level. However, I wonder if losing weight might improve his long speed and twitch. As it is, Washington is a shifty player in the open field who occasionally breaks a long play. I wouldn’t include the third-year sophomore in the same class of explosive players as North Carolina’s Josh Downs or LSU’s Kayshon Boutte, but he’s a much denser player who will likely suffer fewer injuries as he operates over the middle of the field.

Overall, Washington is missing the polish of an elite No. 1 option. This coming season will give him a chance to make the statistical leap former teammate Jahan Dotson pulled off over his two final collegiate seasons. Washington’s draft stock remains in limbo until we see how he handles the pressure and workload of a top-20 receiver in college football.

Role & Scheme Fit: Slot (Y) receiver in an 11 personnel heavy scheme

Round Projection: Mid Second to Early Third

Player Comparison: N/A

Submitted: 07-10-22