Finding Broncos: Scouting Arkansas RB Mike Washington Jr.

Washington is a big back, over 220 pounds, and he showed his speed and burst at the NFL Combine, posting a 4.33-second 40-yard dash with a 1.51-second 10-yard split. While he spent time at three different schools, he showed steady improvement each year, with good jumps as a player at each stop, before showing signs of it all coming together at Arkansas. 

Washington's size and power are easy to see, but when he mixes in the explosive burst and speed, he can be really difficult to defend. His size and power make it hard for defenders to tackle him, and he does well to break through poor tackling attempts.

Even at his size, Washington shows good change-of-direction capabilities, plays with a good center of balance, and is light on his feet. 

There is enough there as a receiver and blocker to work as a third-down back, and Washington has shown enough as a receiver to be a legit threat when coming out of the backfield. His vision appears to be at an NFL level, and he rarely leaves yards on the field due to missing a hole or lane to run through. 

When Washington goes into contact, he does well to protect the ball from group tackles and keeps his legs churning to fall forward and carry the group. The burst and power make him a threat on outside runs, as he can pace it to the corner, and the power to plow through cornerbacks to get chunk plays. 

Cons

Washington's fumble rate isn’t ideal, even with the improvement he showed last season. There isn’t a single aspect that appears to be the cause of the fumbles, which can make it harder to correct in a short time.

Washington also has a questionable mentality as a blocker. Despite his size and physical running style, he doesn’t show it consistently. 

He can struggle in tight quarters with the footwork and making defenders miss; that shiftiness isn’t there, which isn’t all that surprising for a bigger back. As bursty and explosive as he has shown himself to be, his acceleration can take time, and his tape doesn’t reflect his testing numbers consistently. 

Being a physical runner isn’t the same as being an aggressive runner, and this mentality often shows up, even in pass protection. Washington doesn’t consistently make that aggressive move as a runner to aim for extra yards and can be overly content with taking what defenses give him. 

At the Senior Bowl, Washington's legs looked tired when he ran, raising questions about his conditioning and whether he can be that guy for a full season at the NFL level. He might find himself relegated to being a back in a committee more than being viewed as the top guy in the room. 

Fit With the Broncos

Committee back or not, Washington fits in really well with what the Broncos do offensively, and with their current running back room. He would be that third back used in certain situations, with J.K. Dobbins and RJ Harvey ahead of him.

If Dobbins gets hurt again, the Broncos would still have the power Washington brings in reserve to work as a duo with Harvey. As a duo, Washington complements Harvey quite well, and would make one heck of a tandem of the future.

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