STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — Parker Washington is known as the shifty receiver out of Penn State that played alongside standout wide receiver Jahan Dotson a year ago. But now coming out and into the NFL this year, it’s his time to shine.
Washington stepped up into the top receiver role for the Nittany Lions this year, and he expects to receive plenty of interest from the NFL and teams overall. That has come to fruition as he dazzled people on Penn State pro day.
However, there is one specific team that Washington has noticed paying attention to him — the Pittsburgh Steelers. At the NFL Combine, they had a formal meeting and Washington wouldn’t mind coming to Pittsburgh. He knows Pat Freiermuth and the history of the Steelers and Penn State.
“I had a formal with them at the NFL Combine, and I got to talk to literally everybody,” Washington said. “I wouldn’t mind going to the Steelers.”
Washington suffered a broken leg in the season, however. He is starting to ramp up back to his usual speed. Washington is just one of many players that the Steelers seem to be interested in at Penn State. But his familiarity with the culture already seems to be there, and the conversations with Pittsburgh have been fruitful.
“It’s been really good, you know,” Washington said. “You have to know what player you’re getting. I ask a lot of questions and it’s been exciting, especially the Steelers.”
Regardless of how it ends up, Washington has yards-after-catch skills from the slot that make sense for the Steelers. While he lacks true top-receiver upside, he could be a fine option in the slot as a day-three selection. Of course, Pittsburgh has not seemed to be too interested in slot receivers this offseason, so their plan for the position is still ambiguous and up in the air.