DeAndre Washington NFL Draft 2016: Scouting Report, Grade for Raiders Rookie

POSITIVES

A 23-year-old senior running back from Missouri City, Texas, DeAndre Washington produced 3,411 yards on the ground at Texas Tech while adding 23 touchdowns rushing and four receiving. His 124 catches highlight his ability as a three-down weapon in the right offense.

The 4.49 40-yard dash on the second time shows what kind of long speed Washington has. What you can't see in the 40 is that he has quick, choppy feet and can explode in short areas to make defenders miss or slide through a hole.

Washington, despite being a smaller back, doesn't overuse outside runs and will play to his assignment on efforts between the tackles. He doesn't run with great power, but he secures the ball away and won't fumble in pressure situations. In his last two seasons at Tech, Washington fumbled just twice on 421 rushing attempts.

If you want a third-down back, Washington is your guy. He's a reliable receiver out of the backfield and can do work in the slot.

NEGATIVES

A knee injury at the end of the 2011 season caused Marshall to redshirt between his true-freshman and redshirt-sophomore seasons.

A popular concern with Washington will be that he did his damage against soft Big 12 defenses and in a Texas Tech scheme that spreads the field wide and then gashes defenses with inside runs. Both are valid. A narrow frame with small hands (9") will give teams pause as well.

Vision can be tough to evaluate in the Texas Tech scheme, but what Washington shows in terms of patience and instincts with the ball in his hands is average. He'll run up on blockers' backs and get too impatient waiting for blocks to develop. He has to learn to read blocks and let his players set up in front of him.

Washington has the skill set to contribute as a role player early on, but he must become a better blocker to be called into action as a third-down specialist.

COMBINE RESULTS

Height: 5'8 1/4"

Weight: 204 lbs.

40 Time: 4.49s

3-Cone: 7.03s

Short Shuttle: 4.20s

PRO COMPARISON: Gio Bernard, Cincinnati Bengals
FINAL GRADE: 5.70/9.00 (Round 4—Quality Contributor)