Dwayne Washington NFL Draft 2016: Scouting Report, Grade for Lions Rookie

POSITIVES

A big back with enough speed to make plays in the open field, Dwayne Washington can shift gears and run away from tacklers. Washington, who left the Huskies after his junior season, has the athletic upside to intrigue scouts even if his college career didn't produce jaw-dropping statistics.

With legitimate pull-away speed, Washington can be dangerous in space if he gets a clear rushing lane. He's able to rip off long runs on a regular basis and had a knack for finding cutback lanes at the second level to sprint through. He has good footwork at the line of scrimmage and can create on his own if the offensive line doesn't open a hole for him.

A former wide receiver, Washington was able to pick up yards on swing passes and screen packages out of the backfield. He's not a player you would have to remove from the field on third down.

NEGATIVES

Injuries and fumbles showed up too often during his 2015 campaign. Washington put the ball on the ground 10 times in what amounts to a season's worth of production in college (226 carries) and was hobbled by injuries that caused him to miss the last four games of the season.

Washington isn't shifty, and with his tall frame, he becomes an upright runner with poor hip flexibility to shake defenders in the hole. He's fast enough to make plays when running in a straight line, but he can be bottled up.

Power should be part of the package for Washington. That he's a bit tall in his running stance limits his pop at the point of attack, but he won't look for contact and initiate it when a tackler meets him. Washington plays like he's much smaller than 221 pounds.

COMBINE RESULTS

Height: 6'1 1/8"

Weight: 221 lbs.

40 Time: 4.45s

3-Cone: N/A

Short Shuttle: N/A

PRO COMPARISON: Knile Davis, Kansas City Chiefs
FINAL GRADE: 5.00/9.00 (Priority Free Agent)