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2018 NFL Draft Profile: Is James Washington worthy of first-round pick?

By Quinn Douglas

ORLANDO, FL - DECEMBER 28: Wide receiver James Washington #28 of the Oklahoma State Cowboys looks to catch a pass in front of safety Reggie Floyd #21 of the Virginia Tech Hokies on December 28, 2017 at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by Michael Chang/Getty Images)
ORLANDO, FL - DECEMBER 28: Wide receiver James Washington #28 of the Oklahoma State Cowboys looks to catch a pass in front of safety Reggie Floyd #21 of the Virginia Tech Hokies on December 28, 2017 at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by Michael Chang/Getty Images) /
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Oklahoma State’s James Washington has the potential to be a solid pro, but where will he land in the 2018 NFL Draft?

More: 2018 NFL Draft preview, player profiles and latest mock drafts

The quarterback-wide receiver combination in college football was extremely prevalent a year ago with many prolific connections. None maybe more so than the connection of Mason Rudolph to James Washington for Oklahoma State. Washington finished the 2017 season with a nation-leading 1,549 yards receiving and 13 touchdowns, along with an eye-popping 20.9 yards per reception.

Washington follows in the recent trend of stud wide receivers to come out of Stillwater, including Dez Bryant, Justin Blackmon, and Tyreek Hill. However, Washington has had the most prolific college career out of the aforementioned players.

Strengths

It’s no secret that Washington is a speed demon, much like the star receivers that passed through Stillwater before him. That elite speed alone is enough to make almost all 30 NFL teams interested in the potential he has. His ability to make quick cuts makes it easy for him to break away from receivers on patterns such as post routes and flag routes. Washington has also showed flexibility lining up as on the outside and in the slot as well.

Weaknesses

Obviously playing in a pass-happy offense such as Mike Gundy’s Air Raid scheme will make you deficient as a blocker right off the bat. Downfield blocking is critical in the running and passing game in the NFL and Washington will need to at least become a serviceable blocker. Another issue is simply his lack of challenges he faced in college, going up against historically soft Big 12 defenses week in and week out. Concerns may rise about how he will handle one-on-one matchups against physical corners such as Jalen Ramsey and Richard Sherman.

Next: Latest pre-Combine NFL Mock Draft first round

Draft Expectations

The upside for Washington is very attractive, but it will take the right coaching staff to harness that potential. His style of play is similar to that of former OSU receiver Tyreek Hill and the only major difference is Washington being a much more polished receiver than Hill was leaving college.

Prediction: High 2nd-round pick

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