Mike Washington Jr. entered camp as a fourth-round project, but the Raiders are already treating him like much more than that.
Las Vegas general manager John Spytek said Washington is not only hitting the team’s expectations, he’s going beyond them. Spytek also pointed to new head coach Kubiak as the driving force behind the pick, saying Kubiak pushed hard for Washington on Day 3 of the draft and described him as “the perfect scheme fit.” Spytek admitted it’s tough for a rookie to earn meaningful snaps right away, but he said Washington’s preseason work has the front office convinced he can help the team win this season.
That belief has been reinforced by what Washington has done on the field. Through two preseason games, he’s averaged 7.9 yards per carry and ripped off two runs of 30-plus yards. Pro Football Focus graded him as the top running back in the entire preseason field.
The timing only makes his rise more interesting. Ashton Jeanty is dealing with an ankle injury, and Washington has already moved into the first-team backfield in practice, ahead of veteran depth options like Dylan Laube. That gives the Raiders a real answer at a moment when the backfield could have been unsettled.
For an offense trying to keep drives moving for Kirk Cousins and create explosive chances for Brock Bowers and Jack Bech, Washington’s emergence matters. A productive back on a rookie contract gives Las Vegas more flexibility as final cuts approach, and it could reduce the need to chase a veteran runner on waivers if Jeanty’s ankle issue lingers.
Even once Jeanty returns, Washington looks set to stay involved. The expectation is that the Raiders will use him in complementary, downhill packages rather than leaving him as a backup who only comes off the bench in emergency situations.
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Raiders Already Face A Big Fernando Mendoza Protection Debate
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It is, of course, a speculative read rather than a forecast locked in stone, and plenty will change before Las Vegas is actually on the clock. The draft order will shift, Goosbys college season will shape his stock, and the Raiders own evaluation of Mendozas protection needs could look very different by then, but the idea of making the quarterback a priority up front is already driving the discussion. [Read more 🡒]