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Malik Washington; Another Late Round Hit?

Originally posted on Dolphins Talk | By Austin Dobbins | Last updated Jul 29, 2024 3:51 PM ET

There’s nothing like an underdog story, the trials and tribulations of adversity throughout an athlete’s career that ends in success. South Florida sports fans have enjoyed many of these underdog stories: Cameron Wake, Udonis Haslem, Kader Kohou, and Nik Needham, among many others. This season, there are quite a few underdogs to keep our eye on; I am not picking an undrafted guy today but rather Malik Washington, the small receiver out of Virginia.

Washington spent four years at Northwestern before transferring to Virginia as a grad student, where he made a name for himself.

2023: “Second team Associated Press All-American. First-team All-ACC. Led the FBS with a school-record 110 receptions, ranked fourth with a school-record 1,426 receiving yards (13.0 per), and ninth with 1,706 all-purpose yards. Led the team with nine receiving TDs. Played in all 12 games with 11 starts (3-7-2.3 rushing).” (by Chad Reuter, NFL.COM)
Receiving Grade 92.4 (2nd) PFF

Washington a sure handed speedy slot receiver is a physical, scrappy guy willing to make the plays. Many may discredit his size, but we have seen Cole Beasley and, recently, Tank Dell prove that size doesn’t matter. The sure-handed receiver who can create space and make guys miss will find his way onto the field. PFF went into complete depth on why they consider Washington the most underrated receiver in the class here: 2024 NFL Draft: Malik Washington is the most underrated wide receiver in the class (pff.com)

Washington plays an interesting case for training camp as the Dolphins have an outstanding wide receiver room. Yet Washington can create some competition for the slot receiver position. Even with the addition of an aging OBJ, the slot position and depth chart spots are still between Berrios, Cracraft, and Washington. Cracraft and Berrios have both been solid for the Dolphins, but with Washington’s high motor and productivity this past season, it is not crazy to believe he can make an impact.

So far, I can find his backflip from camp, which is quite athletic, and I have seen him make a few plays via Travis Wingfield. Much of Washington’s success will come after the catch (Yards After Catch 710 (3rd in Regular season FBS), as much of his college tape shows the impressive change of direction and the ability to make people miss. (Missed Tackles Forced35 (1st in FBS) 2023)

Washington played 90% of his snaps out of the slot last season but made the most of them, becoming one of the most productive receivers in the nation. I will be cheering for the 6th-round pick all throughout camp, not just because I want to see a late-round pick succeed but because he has the ability to contribute to this Dolphins team out of the gate.

This article first appeared on Dolphins Talk and was syndicated with permission.

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