Jaguars' Parker Washington is making the most of his rookie season

It's not often you see guys drafted in the sixth round to playoff teams that play skill positions, have huge impacts in their rookie season. The Jacksonville Jaguars have a guy who is doing that; at least, you can say that about him from the last two games the Jaguars have played. Win or lose, you can't hide how helpful he has been, yet somehow, no one outside of the Jaguars and their fans knows about him.

Parker Washington was drafted in the sixth round out of Penn State in this last draft and came into a team competing with many weapons on the roster. You have guys like Christian Kirk and Calvin Ridley, who together are two of the top 20 receivers in the league, and even Zay Jones is a really good player.

So, it was going to take a lot of work getting some playing time if you're a guy like Washington, who wasn't even that big of a draft pick. So far, Washington has not only put in the work in practice to get his shot but is also doing some crazy things in the game. On Sunday Night Football against a really good Baltimore Ravens defense, they will need him even more.

"Parker has done a good job. He's made the most of his opportunities when the ball has been thrown his way; he's made a couple of tough catches for touchdowns the last two weeks," Doug Pederson said earlier this week. "He's a young player who is suddenly getting thrust into a heavy role with a lot of usage, and he's done a good job responding to it. He'll continue to get better as he keeps going."

Washington has scored a touchdown in two straight games, and both were impressive and came at crucial points in the game. Specifically, the one against the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday Night Football was amazing, as he toe-tapped his way into his first career touchdown.

Washington, 5'10", had to step in when Christian Kirk went down with an injury, and even Zay Jones, who was banged up a bit a few weeks ago, too. He has fit in flawlessly, and just like Pederson said, that's not easy for a rookie to do. But, it appears that his "coming out party" has forced the Jaguars to look at him as a true potential piece for the future.

Does Washington need some work still? Of course, but his ability to make tough catches and get in the end zone, as well as his versatility as a returner, has been more than helpful. He could end up being a real threat in the future, but right now, he is the Jaguars' secret weapon. To make things even better, the Ravens have some injuries on their defense, at the linebacker spots and defensive back, which should only benefit Washington and the Jaguars' offense.