Penn State cornerback [autotag]Joey Porter Jr.[/autotag] has been receiveing plenty of draft hype for the 2023 NFL draft class as the 2022 college football season approaches. Porter is viewed by some as a potential first-round draft pick in next year’s NFL draft, which would certainly raise the bar for Penn State’s program when it comes to cornerbacks. But now a wide receiver is receiving some pretty positive draft hype entering the upcoming college football season.
[autotag]Parker Washington[/autotag] was ranked as one of the top 10 wide receiver draft prospects for the 2023 NFL draft recently by Pro Football Focus. PFF noted that the departure of [autotag]Jahan Dotson[/autotag], a first-round pick of the Washington Commanders in the 2022 NFL draft, should lead to a more productive season from Washington, and that should only continue to boost his draft stock going into the 2023 draft season.
Washington has already challenged himself to take the next steps forward as he becomes the likely top target for quarterback [autotag]Sean Clifford[/autotag] in the Penn State offense in 2022. It is not as though Washington has much to prove though. The junior wide receiver has already assembled quite the highlight reel of incredible catches and there were even some games where Washington had more of an impact on the game than Dotson.
From PFF;
He’s only been a slot receiver, and that’s where he profiles in the NFL. At 5-foot-10, 207 pounds, he’s got an Amari Rodgers-esque body type that’s more akin to a running back. That serves him well after the catch, where he broke 16 tackles last season.
Much like Dotson, Washington also possesses Venus flytrap hands. He’s dropped only five passes on 105 catchable targets in his collegiate career, with numerous highlight-reel snags mixed in.
With his physical playstyle, reliable hands and yards-after-catch ability, Washington is the early favorite for the best pure slot in the draft class.
It will be fun watching Washington play another season with the Nittany Lions in the meantime. With Dotson gone, Washignton figures to be the team’s leading receiver but the addition of [autotag]Mitchell Tinsley[/autotag] from Western Kentucky and the continued development of [autotag]KeAndre Lambert-Smith[/autotag] does give Penn State three receivers it can do some damage with this fall.
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