The 2026 NFL Draft will be a great event for teams to start building for their future. Here is the Mike Washington NFL Draft Profile.
For full rankings, mock drafts and live coverage, visit our NFL Draft hub.
Position: Running Back
School: Arkansas
Size: 6-foot-1, 223 pounds
Class: Senior
2025 stats: 167 carries, 1,070 rushing yards, 8 rushing touchdowns, 28 receptions, 226 receiving yards, 1 touchdown reception
Washington was a two-star recruit in the class of 2021 who decided to stay in-state to play for Buffalo. He redshirted in his first season, but still rushed for 132 yards. In 2022, Washington rushed for 625 yards and seven touchdowns. He helped the team win seven games. For the 2023 season, Washington had 362 rushing yards, 35 receiving yards and two touchdowns. Buffalo struggled and Washington transferred to New Mexico State for the 2024 season. In 2024, Washington totaled 725 rushing yards, 74 receiving yards and nine touchdowns. The Aggies won just three games and Washington transferred to Arkansas. With the Razorbacks, Washington racked up 1,070 rushing yards, 226 receiving yards and nine touchdowns. Although he played well, Arkansas struggled with just two wins.
Following the season, Washington has been preparing for the 2026 NFL Draft. He is currently projected to be a second to fourth round pick.
Washington has great size for an NFL running back. He measured in at 6-foot-1 and 223 pounds at the NFL Combine, which makes him one of the bigger running backs in the class. His size gives him good power and he is a good option in short-yardage situations. As a runner, he has nice contact balance and is hard to bring to the ground.
He has great speed for the position, especially given how big he is. Washington ran a 4.33-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine and that shows up on tape. He is a big play threat once he gets into the open field. With the combination of his size and speed, Washington builds up a nice momentum and is hard to tackle.
His receiving production over his college career has been solid. Washington is a good option for screens, swings and dump-offs, as he can catch and run well. He can add more routes to this game to be more diverse, but he has solid hands and is a weapon as a receiver for an offense.
Washington is more of a straight-line athlete and lacks agility and elusiveness. He picks up yardage because of his vision, speed and power, but he doesn’t often have the quickness to cut and pick up extra yardage. Washington is best if he keeps going north and south instead of dancing.
His ball security has been suspect over his college career. Washington can be a little loose with the ball and fumbles. He can focus more and keep the ball high and tight to limit putting the ball on the ground.
Given his size, he should be better in pass protection. He can see where pressure is coming from sooner and then can square up rushers better. Washington can be more willing to block, which would make him even more of an asset on third downs when paired with his receiving ability.
Projected Draft Range: Second Round Pick-Fourth Round Pick
Draft Grade: Third Round Pick
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