Parker Washington 2023 NFL Draft Scouting Report

Background: 

• His cousin is quarterback Joshua Dobbs

• Has logged at least one reception in every game of his college career; has 100 receptions entering the 2022 season
• Letterman in track and field in high school

System: 

• Scheme tendencies: Spread offense with RPO and QB-run elements
• 2022 projected role: Featured wide receiver

Pros: Penn State wide receiver Parker Washington has phenomenal natural talent. He has ball skills that are well developed beyond his years and pairs that with slippery mobility, strong acceleration, and a creative running style with and without the football. The foundation is laid for Washington to develop his game and enter into the first-round conversation with his physical abilities. Now that teammate Jahan Dotson has transitioned to the NFL as a top-20 draft choice, Washington projects as the starring player in the Penn State passing game. Washington has experience in a slew of alignments but his best work and highest volume have come from the slot. He’s very savvy running MOF routes that sit down versus zone, break vertically on delayed attacks up the field, or work across the face of traffic when running the shallow and rubbing to come clean against man coverage. His ability to take throws in stride and play off contact for RAC is accentuated by how dense he is as a player—he’s built like Amari Rodgers from Clemson several years back and carries his weight like a running back. But the story with Washington that will garner the most attention is the ball skills—he hauled in incredible one-handed catches in the snow versus Michigan State and another in the Outback Bowl versus Arkansas. His highlight reception from the college level was a replica of the infamous Odell Beckham Jr. catch. Washington is a ball vacuum and with an increased role, I’m expecting massive output. 

Cons: While the projection for Parker Washington is very exciting, it is just a projection until he goes out and executes. He’s been a consistent presence since arriving in Happy Valley with his streak of games with a reception, but he has yet to serve as a consistent high-volume target—so the increased attention from opposing defenses and higher volume of targets could uncover cracks in his game. As is, I think Washington would benefit from the peripherals of being a top target—playing outside alignments more frequently and defeating press coverage on the outside being at the top of the list. Washington’s foot speed is very good and his true long speed is good but I’m not sure it’s electric. Additionally, his stature and build could be a barrier to consistently winning outside unless the initial explosiveness is there, so there are some unquestioned answers. Running routes outside more often will build out his route tree as well. The question is, how quickly does he master those routes? These are the questions I have for Washington entering 2022.

Parker Washington NFL Draft Scouting Report by Kyle Crabbs