Parker Washington is an NFL Team’s Missing Piece

First Round Mock welcomes Garrett Hearl to our staff of writers, and right off the bat, he has big things to say about Penn State’s Parker Washington.

Parker Washington is ready to slide into the slot-receiver role for any NFL team from day one – NFL Draft Analyst, Garrett Hearl

There is just something to be said for having an innate ability to find open space and make yourself a target for a quarterback.

Washington possesses that trait.

This Penn State product, unofficially 5-foot-10 and 212 pounds, presents himself as a target, and once he has the ball in his hands, this receiver has “running-back-like” abilities. This is shown when he’s breaking tackles with elite balance and ability to absorb contact, which he combines with a knack for always fighting for extra yardage.

Washington is the ultimate competitor on the football field and it comes out on every single play.

Washington’s route running

He wants to get physical with opposing defensive backs and seems to be the alpha on Penn State’s offense. This mentality translates on the football field from route level to route level.

At Penn State, Washington was never asked to run a sophisticated route tree, but that does not mean he is incapable of it. Washington has a plethora of reps showing his ability to quickly plant his foot and turn the coverage defender around downfield. He combines that with a lot of experience running the screen game.

Washington will not be an elite separator at the professional level, but he does his job and he does it well. He’s going to struggle in press coverage against defensive backs with longer wing spans that can jam him off of his release. Once he is pressed off his route, he’s covered for the rest of the play.

It will be vitally important to line him up in the slot, stack or bunch formations to have success at the next level.

He does the little things you want out of a receiver.

-He catches the ball away from his body

-Hangs on through traffic

-Gets chippy in the run game, especially in tight formations.

Bottom line

Washington came into Penn State as a freshman weighing 201 pounds, according to 247sports. Now, he’s leaving as Penn State’s leading receiver in ’22 with 46 receptions and 611 yards.

Overall, I see room for Washington to grow as an outside threat as he matures. He turns 21 a month before the 2023 NFL Draft, and he still has physical strength to continue to gain. This will only improve his ability to release.

Washington is someone NFL teams should feel very safe about selecting. He’s a chain mover and he needs to be considered on Day two of the NFL Draft.

Grade – Mid to Late Round 2 | Expectation – Mid to Late Round 3

So much can and will change between now and draft day. Washington still has a lot to gain from the pre-draft process. He has a father who played at Mississippi State as well as the Air Force Academy. His cousin Joshua Dobbs (Titans) played QB for the University of Tennessee from 2013-2016. In a family full of high-level athletes, Washington is the next in line.

• Player Comparison – JuJu Smith-Schuster at 5-foot-10
• 2021 Game Film Reviewed: Ohio State, Illinois and Wisconsin
• 2022 Game Film Reviewed: Michigan, Purdue, Auburn and Northwestern

Garrett Hearl is an aspiring NFL Draft Writer with a unique passion and love for scouting and player evaluation. Continuously wanting to learn more about football than he knew yesterday, he is currently attending Michigan State University where he is working to a degree in Journalism and Sports Journalism. Garrett lives for watching game film, learning more about the game, and is driven by his ultimate goals. Garrett writes for FirstRoundMock.com and he can be found on Twitter @garrett2hearl.