Local Receiver Could be Steelers Answer at Slot
Last year, the Pittsburgh Steelers scoured the globe to find a new franchise quarterback to lead them into the post-Ben Roethlisberger era. After making their rounds, they settled on Kenny Pickett, a Pittsburgh product who had played his collegiate career in their backyard.
Their needs are different this year on offense, and a slot receiver is certainly near the top of the list. One name that certainly fits the billing is another local standout, Penn State's Parker Washington.
Originally from Sugar Land, Texas, Washington was a consensus four-star recruit who arrived in Happy Valley in 2020. He earned himself a role on offense immediately, giving the Nittany Lions another weapon to pair with current Washington Commanders receiver Jahan Dotson and Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth.
His prior relationship with Freiermuth isn't his only connection to the Steelers organization as Washington is also the cousin of former Pittsburgh quarterback Josh Dobbs.
Washington declared for the NFL Draft after his junior season, one in which he accumulated 611 receiving yards and a pair of touchdown grabs. After posting career-best numbers in 2021, Washington didn't quite have the breakout season that we were expecting, but some of that was due to factors beyond his immediate control.
Aside from a bevy of experience playing inside in the slot, which parts of Washington's game make him an intriguing fit for the Steelers' offense?
For starters, Washington is an effective weapon after the catch which is something that the Steelers sorely lacked in their offensive arsenal last season. That prowess after the catch comes from his build.
Listed as 5-foot-10, 210 pounds, he has a sturdy lower half and noticeable lower body strength for the position. Washington uses this strength to his advantage, as he can bounce off of potential tacklers like a bowling ball while flexing impressive contact balance to keep his footing.
The next admirable trait in Washington's game is his arrogant hands to haul in passes regardless if they're necessarily on target or not. It's not exactly a ground-breaking analysis when saying that pass catchers who possess reliable hands are valuable, but Washington catches almost everything. He's a natural hands catcher who frames the ball well and trusts his technique on a consistent basis.
He also has a bit of a flair for the dramatic, as he's come down with several highlight-reel-worthy one-handed snags.
Beyond that, Washington has some hops, plays bigger than his height would otherwise suggest, and there are some encouraging examples of him winning contested catch opportunities in the air. Washington has good balance and shows the ability to high-point the football and plays through contact.
Whenever you work inside as much as Washington does, you better be able to quickly identify the soft spots in zone coverage. He showcases a good understanding of when to throttle down in vacancies or accelerate to open grass. Whenever given the opportunity, Washington moves the chains in the middle of the field and isn't scared of getting hit after securing the catch into his frame.
Washington obviously offers a number of appealing traits and a skill set that should carve him out a nice role in the league, but there are still things that he needs to work on. The most notable existing concern relative to his transition to the next level is his route running.
You'll sometimes see Washington round off his routes giving defenders a chance to undercut the throw. He also raises his pad level throughout his stem, and he needs to be more efficient with his movements as he is frequently seen taking too many steps to break down and snap off his route. When exiting the break, he's not the most explosive guy either which limits his ability to separate from defensive backs in man coverage.
Partially because of the scheme and potentially some of his limitations, Washington isn't a guy who runs a vast route tree and doesn't have a ton of reps on tape against press coverage. For a player without elite size and without an elite extra gear to threaten corners vertically, Washington is going to have to become a tactician route runner who excels with the finer details of the craft.
Improving some of the things above while also learning to consistently threaten defenders' leverage will turn him into more of a complete receiver and raise his ceiling.
After watching his tape, Washington feels like a player that will come off of the board in the middle rounds, either late day two or early day three. He doesn't quite offer the ceiling of other players in this draft class at his position, but he could be a complimentary piece in the right offense.
The Steelers have Calvin Austin III coming back from Injured Reserve, and by adding Washington to the mix, could create a "two dogs, one bone" situation for slot opportunities next year in Matt Canada's offense.
Combined, there are some yin and yang to their games: Austin is a more dynamic athlete and detailed route runner who has a largely different skill set.
If recent history is any indication, Pittsburgh will more than likely take a receiver earlier than where Washington is projected to come off of the board. But if the board falls a certain way, the Steelers could opt to load up on other positions and use him as a fallback option later in the draft.
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