By: Michael Higgins

School: Penn State (Sophomore)

Position: WR

HT: 5’10

WT: 207 lbs

Sideline Prospect Ranking: #58

Parker Washington is a wide receiver out of Richmond, Texas.  Parker comes from a large family of athletes. His father, Christopher, played college football for both Mississippi State and the Air Force Academy. He has one cousin in the Kansas City Royals organization and his other cousin is Joshua Dobbs, a former Tennessee Volunteer quarterback and currently a member of the Cleveland Browns. Washington attended Fort Bend Travis High School, where he earned a 4-star recruiting ranking and was a consensus Top-300 player in the high school class of 2020. Washington was a high school team captain as a senior and helped lead his team to a division title. Washington was also an All-State honoree as a senior. Out of high school, Washington chose Penn State over schools such as Wisconsin, Duke, and Boston College. As a true freshman in the COVID filled 2020 season, Washington announced his arrival by starting all 9 games and being named to the All-America Freshman Team. He was a consistent presence for the Nittany Lions’ offense. He only improved as his career progressed. In 3 seasons at Penn State, Washington has been the go-to guy since he stepped foot on campus. He is 10th in Penn State history in career receptions and 13th in receiving yards… in 3 seasons!

Parker Washington is a jack of all trades for the Nittany Lions. He is a fast receiver that typically lines up in the slot to find the soft spots in the middle of the field. He has a knack for picking up yards after the catch. He has a strong lower half that provides him with elite balance and body control. If defenders do not completely follow through with the tackle and put Washington in the grass, he will make them pay. It takes more than one defensive back to stop Washington from churning forward for a few extra yards. He bounces off tacklers with ease and slips through gaps in coverage. While he is a defense’s main concern every time he is on the field, it seems as if he can find those open spaces in the defense, going virtually unnoticed when doing so. Washington has sticky hands that catch any ball that touches them. Washington displays superb footwork and technique in his routes. Cutting at the drop of a hat and dropping his hips low on his breaks, he loses defenders easily. He has an expansive route tree that he executes well. On top of being a wide receiver, he also offers special teams upside as a returner both on kicks and punts. While he will most likely get a chance right away within the offense, having the returner upside is a great way to guarantee him some time on the field.

Washington’s build or body type is going to be the first thing that is mentioned when his weaknesses are being discussed. He is almost built like a running back as he is a bit smaller but very strong and stocky. This will limit his role in an offense. He is most likely going to be looked at as a slot/gadget player but can still be a main weapon within an offense. His somewhat limited role at Penn State had more to do with the scheme than it did with his abilities. He will have the ball in his hands plenty of times, both on offense and on special teams.

Scheme Fit: RPO, Screen Heavy Offense

Ideal Role: Slot Receiver & Punt Returner

Best Team Fits: CLE, CAR, MIN

Player Comparison: Sterling Shepard

Player Grade: 78.3