Did DeAndre Washington do enough at the Senior Bowl to be drafted?

Former Texas Tech running back DeAndre Washington helped increase his NFL Draft stock with a solid performance in Saturday’s Senior Bowl. The first team all-Big 12 running back gained 36 yards on 8 carries for an average of 4.5 yards per carry to help lead the South team to a 27-16 win.

In the annual all-star game played in Mobile, Alabama Washington spent all week trying to prove that he is a legitimate NFL prospect. In front of coaches and scouts from every NFL franchise, Washington was on a weeklong job interview and according to reports he seems to have represented himself as well as possible.

Many observers have gone to twitter to praise Washington’s work against some of the top players in the nation.

One knock on Washington is is lack of idea size but he reminded some of a current NFL running back.

At 5-foot-8 and 200-pounds, Washington is only one inch shorter and five pounds lighter than Bernard who has 3,340 yards from scrimmage and 17 touchdowns in his three-year career in Cincinnati.  As Texas Tech fans have seen for years, Washington is as solid as can be in one of the most critical but overlooked aspects of playing running back, pass protection.  This week, he displayed that skill to NFL personnel.

After having a stellar senior season in 2015 with 1,877 total yards (1,492 rushing) and 16 total touchdowns, Washington made a name for himself on the national scene but he was almost not invited to participate in the Senior Bowl.  It was not until last Sunday, January 24th that Washington was added to the South team roster.  But the short notice did not keep Washington from showing up ready to go to work.

One hope Washington has of earning a shot at the next level is his ability to be an all-purpose back.  As the NFL has evolved into a passing league, a higher emphasis has been placed on running backs’ ability to catch the ball.  Playing in the Texas Tech offense for the last five years has honed Washington’s receiving skills.  He caught 124 passes for 1,091 yards as a Red Raider and his hands helped him get noticed in Mobile.

Ultimately, the product of Missouri City, TX transformed into one of the most complete and reliable backs in the Air Raid era of Texas Tech football (post 1999).  Without Washington in the lineup, it is hard to imagine Texas Tech reaching a bowl game last year.  Down the stretch, with Texas Tech needing to win one of its two final games, Washington was the team’s best player.

In his last game at Jones Stadium, he rushed for a career-high 247 yards and three touchdowns leading Texas Tech to a win over Kansas State to secure bowl eligibility.  Two weeks later against the Texas Longhorns, Washington’s 173 yards and two scores helped Texas Tech win in Austin for the first time in almost two decades.

In his time as a Red Raider, Washington turned himself into a playmaker.  At the Senior Bowl, that playmaking ability seemed to shine.

It is still far too early to know if Washington will be drafted this year.  In recent years, NFL teams have seemed to devalue the importance of running backs in favor of wide receivers and even tight ends.

No running back was selected in the first round of either the 2013 or 2014 NFL Drafts.  In fact, in 2014 the first running back selected was taken at pick No. 54, the latest the first running back has ever been taken in the draft.

Next: The bust that was the Texas Tech 2012 recruiting class

That means that more running backs are sliding into the middle and late rounds where Washington may be picked.  This year, only former Ohio State running back Ezekiel Elliott is a lock to be drafted in the first round.  Hesiman Trophy winner Derrick Henry may also move into the late first round if he can impress scouts with his workouts before April.

So there despite Washington’s strong week in Mobile, whether or not he will be Drafted by an NFL team will remain a mystery until his name is called or the draft ends.  However, Washington has put himself in the conversation by showing up well in the first major test of the NFL Draft process, the Senior Bowl.