Chicago Bears: Recap of combine workouts for top 5 wide receivers
By Ryan Heckman
Height: 5’11”
Weight: 213
Projected round: Second
40-yard dash: 4.54
Vertical: 34.5″
Broad jump: 10″
Oklahoma State wide receiver James Washington is one of the most interesting prospects in this year’s draft. For an undersized guy at 5’11”, Washington boasts the body of a running back weighing 213 pounds.
His combine went well overall. Everyone wants to talk about the 40-yard dash as the most important drill there is for a wideout, and Washington ran well. His 4.54 was maybe even a tad faster than some would have predicted, but that wasn’t his standout drill.
Washington is the type of player who can rip off the big play. In fact, he has averaged over 20 yards per catch in his last three seasons with Oklahoma State. His knack for the 70-plus yard plays is quite impressive, and Nagy should certainly be paying attention.
Washington showed yet again that he could track deep balls well at the combine, which to me is the most impressive thing he showed. All I can think about is how many 40-plus or 50-plus yard touchdowns that Tyreek Hill has had under Nagy over the last two seasons, and seeing how well Washington does with the deep passes has me excited.
Washington is a strong-bodied kid who doesn’t necessarily run the most crisp routes, but he somehow gets his hands on the ball and secures the catch more often than not. The ability to make difficult catches at the NFL level is extremely important, and he certainly has that trait.
If he is available for Pace in the second round, I could see him coming to Chicago. But, with how Washington performed over the weekend, it’s been rumored that his stock improved enough to possibly squeeze into the first. If he does, then maybe the Bears go after this next guy in round two.