Draft Darlings: Virginia WR Malik Washington is flying way under the radar

The 2024 draft is loaded with talented wide receivers — and there’s one prospect who could sneak into Kansas City.

Thankfully for the Kansas City Chiefs, the 2024 NFL Draft’s wide receiver class is more loaded than we’ve seen in years. It has plenty of talent in the first three rounds — and also has a variety of intriguing Day 3 options.

Every type of wide receiver is represented among these prospects. Looking for a big wideout who can win contested catches? Do you need a possession slot receiver — or one who can stretch the field from that alignment? Are you in the market for a receiver who is great with the ball in their hands? This class has multiple players who can fill all of these roles.

Just as we might expect in a group as large (and varied) as this one, plenty of good players are bound to fall under the radar. I believe this is what’s happened to Virginia’s Malik Washington.

Here’s what you need to know about him.

Background

Coming out of Parkview High School in Lilburn, Georgia, Washington was a three-star recruit who received offers from Virginia, Minnesota, Indiana, Tennessee and Kentucky — but ended up enrolling at Northwestern.

Even though he entered the transfer portal after his sophomore year, he remained at Northwestern for two more seasons, earning 109 catches for 1,272 yards and three touchdowns as a junior and senior. Then he went back into the portal as a graduate transfer, ending up at Virginia — one of the schools that had originally recruited him.

There, Washington had his breakout season. He posted 110 catches for 1,426 yards and nine touchdowns, becoming a first-team All-ACC honoree and second-team Associated Press All-American.

At the NFL Scouting Combine, Washington came in at 5 feet 8 1/2 and 191 pounds. While his arms measured just 30 3/8 inches, he did well in all the athletic testing. He registered a 4.47-second 40-yard dash (with a 1.52-second 10-yard split) that ranked in the 62nd and 67th percentile. His 42 1/2-inch vertical ranked in the 98th percentile among wideouts, while his 10-foot-6 broad jump ranked in the 79th percentile.

Film evaluation

Washington is a prototypical slot receiver. His game starts with his ability to identify zone coverages.

At Virginia, Washington did an excellent job of finding open holes in coverages — even when defenders were getting ready to collapse against him. If two defenders were in a tight area, he could quickly turn back to the ball and present himself as a weapon. Virginia’s quarterback trusted that Washington could find open space — and almost every time, that trust was rewarded.

As an underneath route runner, Washington showed the traits of a high-level slot receiver. He frequently ran option routes, reading defender’s leverages and correctly choosing where to go. He demonstrated the vertical speed that forces defenders to stay even with him — rather than commit to a direction — but also showed the explosiveness and fluidity to quickly snap in and out of his breaks.

While Washington doesn’t display a lot of vertical juice, he can still use his speed to get past defenders and stack them — and he has strong skills as a vertical route runner. His out-and-up route is one of the best for any receiver in this class; he can slow down in the flat — forcing defenders to squat — and then explode upfield to find open space.

Washington’s speed may not attract double teams — but as a route runner, he’s good enough to get downfield and make big plays.

How he fits with the Chiefs

Last season, the Chiefs were desperately missing a dependable wideout — and that’s exactly what Washington is. With Marquise Brown available to run vertical routes (and Rashee Rice running underneath), there is still a need for someone who can find space in zones — and be a dependable chain-mover for quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Washington can do those things.

Since Washington is likely to get most of his work in the slot, that could get a bit clunky with Brown and Rice — but the Chiefs rotate their wide receivers quite a bit; the team will be able to create personnel packages that get Washington on the field. Brown has plenty of experience playing outside — and over time, Rice is also likely to grow into that role. Finally, since the team can isolate tight end Travis Kelce on the back side of formations, they can have another slot receiver on the field — and in general, I like Washington’s complement with Kelce.

The bottom line

Compared to many of the wideouts in this class, Washington doesn’t have a high ceiling; his game doesn’t have a lot of untapped potential. He’s a smaller slot receiver whose downfield speed probably won’t scare many defenses. He’s going to max out as a dependable slot option who can get a lot of targets and move the chains.

And the Chiefs need those things! They need someone to do the dirty work from the slot — and that’s what Washington does well.

Even with all the talent in this wide receiver class, there are a lot of top-50 prospects who will need time to develop. If Kansas City needs a Day 3 wideout who can contribute right now, Washington would be one of my first suggestions.

Grade – Round 3