Malik Washington Continues To Impress With NFL Draft Prep

By: Kris Wright |

Malik Washington continues to impress scouts during NFL Draft preparations. After turning some heads at the East-West Shrine Bowl in February, he backed that up with a strong performance at the NFL Combine this past weekend. It’s all lining up to spell good news for Washington.

The standout Virginia receiver currently is projected to be taken in the first four rounds of the NFL Draft, which begins on Thursday, April 25 in Detroit. In a draft stacked with quarterbacks and receivers, that’s a high compliment for Washington, who elevated himself into the conversation over the past year.

Washington told reporters at the Combine that he believes he can help a team immediately.

“I offer something that can’t be taught, that yards after the catch. That’s just a mentality, attitude-type thing,” Washington said. “But I also think, for me going into my rookie season, I’m ready to go right now. I don’t wanna wait, I don’t wanna try to sit back behind anybody, I wanna try to go earn that spot right now. Teams need somebody who can make an immediate impact, and I can do that.”

The Georgia native transferred from Northwestern to UVA for the spring semester in 2023. He quickly earned trust among his new teammates and coaches with his work ethic and leadership schools. He then translated that into a featured role in the offense, which turned out better than anyone would have predicted.

Washington finished with 110 receptions and 1,426 receiving yards in 12 games to set the single-season school records at Virginia (he actually got to top of the charts in 11 games!). Those catches also set the single-season ACC record as did his 9.17 receptions per game, which landed as the highest of any player in the Football Bowl Subdivision. He also hauled in 9 touchdowns. In total, he had 1,706 all-purpose yards when adding in 273 kickoff return yards, the fourth most of any player in the country.

That, of course, led to all kinds of recognition from All-ACC to All-American honors. To further solidify himself as a fast riser for scouts, however, he needed to follow up a strong season with good performances in the offseason. That started at the East-West Shrine Bowl where he earned Performer of the Week from the event. He did so well that he elected not to play in the game because scouts had seen what they needed to see.

So Washington produced for UVA and then carried that into the all-star bowl format. Fast forward to the next phase of the draft circuit with the NFL Combine. He needed to present some measurables to go with a 5’8”, 194-pound frame. That size can cause some concerns if the numbers don’t match up well with the production.

Washington erased those worries this past weekend. He posted a 4.47 in the 40-yard dash, a 42.5” vertical, and a 10’6” broad jump. That vertical jump stat led the participants in the event. It was stated to be the best vertical at the combine in the last 20 years for receivers that measured under 5’9”.

The Combine process was a “great experience” according to Washington.

“It’s been a great experience with interviews and different things like that, whether it’s learning plays, going over my film, or just talking ball,” Washington said.

Washington’s work has put him on the radars for multiple teams with many positive reports. The Panthers have had at least two meetings with the receiver and he reported informal conversations with the Titans and Steelers in interviews. The Browns may have him as a possibility too.

Here are two clips from the Combine.

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  1. This dude is a stud. He’ll be an All Pro in two or three years. Getting him in the third or fourth round would be the steal of the draft. I predict he’ll go in the second round. Thanks for giving UVA football an All-American year when things were tough!

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