Welcome to the team - Mike Washington Jr

His upright running style reminds me of McFoot.


 

Overview​

  • Hometown: Utica, NY
  • Birthday: July 3, 2003
  • Age: 22.8
  • Jersey: No. 4
  • High School: Cicero-North Syracuse
  • Year: Fifth-year senior
A one-year starter at Arkansas, Washington emerged as the featured back in former offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino’s balanced spread scheme. After stops at Buffalo and New Mexico State, he transferred to Fayetteville in 2025 with low expectations, but he played the best ball of his career on a bad team, ranking top 10 nationally with 6.4 yards per carry.

Washington has an impressive-looking physique and the downhill burst that generally makes tackling him high a bad idea for defenders. Despite some stiffness in his lower half, he is quick to read, collect his feet and cut away from pursuit with speed to finish.

Dane’s takeaway​

Dane Brugler Illustration

Washington is a good-sized athlete who gets through the crease and can be a punisher behind his pads, although he will need to improve his third-down skills to increase his NFL value.
 
BlackIce said:

Overview​

  • Hometown: Utica, NY
  • Birthday: July 3, 2003
  • Age: 22.8
  • Jersey: No. 4
  • High School: Cicero-North Syracuse
  • Year: Fifth-year senior
A one-year starter at Arkansas, Washington emerged as the featured back in former offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino’s balanced spread scheme. After stops at Buffalo and New Mexico State, he transferred to Fayetteville in 2025 with low expectations, but he played the best ball of his career on a bad team, ranking top 10 nationally with 6.4 yards per carry.

Washington has an impressive-looking physique and the downhill burst that generally makes tackling him high a bad idea for defenders. Despite some stiffness in his lower half, he is quick to read, collect his feet and cut away from pursuit with speed to finish.

Dane’s takeaway​

Dane Brugler Illustration

Washington is a good-sized athlete who gets through the crease and can be a punisher behind his pads, although he will need to improve his third-down skills to increase his NFL value.
Click to expand...
Straight A’s by Brugler?
 
Height
6'1"
Weight
223 lbs

40-Yard Dash
4.33
Seconds
10-Yard Split
1.51
Seconds
Vertical Jump
39’’
Broad Jump
10’ 8’’

Draft Projection
Rounds 2-3
NFL Comparison
Chris Carson

Overview​

Washington made stops at three different colleges and showed improvement with each move to a new school. He’s fast with loose hips and adequate agility. He’s not very sudden in tight quarters and is a step slow to see it and go when the hole opens. He can glide and swerve around interior traffic once he’s on the move, though. He has breakaway speed in the open field and is capable as an inside/outside runner. Running to his size with a greater degree of aggressiveness will be the key as he makes the jump. Washington has the traits and talent to become a solid rotational back.

Strengths​

  • Blends imposing size with impressive straight-line speed.
  • Agile feet and loose hips allow for smooth change of direction.
  • Has burst to keep the run wide and beat flowing pursuit to the corner.
  • Reads blocks and moves fluidly through lane development inside.
  • Size allows him to run through cornerbacks in run support.
  • Able to drive through tacklers and fall forward for additional yardage.
  • Can do damage with big plays on swing passes.

Weaknesses​

  • Needs to gather steps getting into downhill cuts in outside-zone schemes.
  • Can be a step slow to see the opening and trigger downhill.
  • Needs to become more willful and aggressive between the tackles.
  • Lacks sudden acceleration for ideal escapability in small spaces.
  • Fumbles have been an issue over the last two seasons.
  • Has size for pass protection but is missing consistent grit.
 
Washington is our David Montgomery to Jahmyr Gibbs :sneak:
 
Washington was mostly projected 2nd-3rd round. It’s just really good value. I think I have a post or two saying I like the kid but don’t want to draft him because that would mean we took him in the 2nd or 3rd… well, I’ll gladly take him in the 4th.
 
theringer.com

Mike Washington Jr. Draft Profile & Scouting Report

Todd McShay's scouting report for Mike Washington Jr.. Grades, measurables, combine results, strengths, and role projection.
theringer.com theringer.com

Grade
74 /100
Pos Rank
3
OVR Rank
85

The Player​

Washington is an ascending back with a rare blend of size, burst, and speed, and he’s coming off a breakout season at Arkansas. He posted the fastest 40 and 10-yard split times among running backs at the combine, and while he doesn’t always look like he has 4.3-second 40 speed on tape, he averaged 6.4 yards per carry in 2025 and is a threat to go whenever he gets a seam. He’s a patient runner who hugs blocks and makes late cuts, and he has an outstanding start-stop ability, especially for a back of his size. He freezes defenders with hesitation moves and accelerates once they are caught flat-footed. He quickly reaches the edge on outside zone runs.

He runs with a narrow base but can break tackles with good contact balance. He’s strong enough to lower his shoulder, run over defenders in space, and push the pile when he doesn’t get a seam. He is a high-cut runner with some tightness in his hips, and he tries to make too much happen on occasion. He’s fumbled seven times in the past two seasons, though he’s lost only two of them, according to PFF.

He’s not a polished route runner, but he can separate with quickness and is a threat after the catch. He has long arms and a wide catching radius. He’s not yet consistently reliable as a pass blocker, but he has the frame and length to improve in this area. He gets top-heavy and flat-footed and needs to improve his angles. He can be late identifying blitzes. He played for Buffalo for three seasons and New Mexico State for one before making a 2025 transfer to

Arkansas, where he had the best season of his career.

The Draft​

Washington is a top-five back and a top-100 overall prospect in this class. An Arkansas running back hasn’t been drafted since 2018.

The Projection​

It’s difficult to find a good comparison for Washington’s size and speed. His game has shades of Kenneth Walker III; they are both powerful runners with great speed, and there were also concerns about Walker’s pass blocking coming out of college.
 
Running back Mike Washington Jr. addresses the media after being selected 122nd overall by the Las Vegas Raiders in the 2026 NFL Draft.

 
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