Las Vegas Raiders rookie running back Mike Washington Jr. isn’t happy about falling to the fourth round in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Washington, who was the 122nd overall pick, was RB3 in The Athletic’s Dane Brugler’s rankings of the top RB prospects during the 2026 NFL Draft, writing, “Washington has an impressive-looking physique and the downhill burst that generally makes tackling him high a bad idea for defenders. Despite some stiffness in his lower half, he is quick to read, collect his feet and cut away from pursuit with speed to finish.”
This offseason, he’s made his feelings known to the rest of the NFL that they will regret passing up on drafting him.
Raiders Rookie Mike Washington Sent A Warning to the Rest of the NFL
In a recent video on Mike Washington Jr.’s YouTube page, he made his feelings known about falling in the draft,
“I got a lot to prove, bro. Picked in the fourth round, projected to go way higher. Just trying to prove everybody who past on me wrong, man. Everybody. Everybody.”
Gotta love knowing that the Raiders drafted someone with a huge chip on his shoulders, and Washington continued on his message.
“I know every running back that was picked before me. I’mma make this league pay, bro. If it’s not this year, it’s coming, for sure. Just wait. Just wait.”
Washington understands it’s Ashton Jeanty’s spot for the main back, saying, “Honestly, it’s about giving [Jeanty] respect and just being a sponge in that environment. That’s my biggest strength, really, just being willing to learn from everybody around me. So I’d say that’s the main thing for me: Just taking it all in and showing respect while I do it.”
However, that isn’t stopping him from trying to become the main back either.
“My mind on the season, on the playbook right now. What I could do every day to, you know, get better,” Washington said in the YouTube video. “I’m really just making plays, like ultimately I’m just trying to get on that field.”
“Like I said, whether it’s this year or you know, years to come. I was a fourth-round draft pick, bro. That’s all that’s going through my mind right now.”
More on Washington’s Situation in Las Vegas
Regardless of Mike Washington Jr.’s situation with the Raiders, he’s slated to make an impact as a rookie.
Raiders digital team reporter Levi Edwards believes he’ll have a huge season, writing, “I personally don’t believe people understand how big of a get Mike Washington Jr. is as a fourth-round pick. He proved to be a top running back in college at each of his three stops, scoring at least eight rushing touchdowns while playing at Buffalo, New Mexico and Arkansas. His speed is the main attractor to his game, with the best 40-yard dash speed of any running back at the 2026 Combine, yet he still plays with a high level of physicality in between the tackles.”
Raiders vice president of player personnel Brandon Hunt also had this to say about Washington:
“[Washington] is going to generate explosives for us and just another weapon that’s going to add to our offense. And Klint and [OC Andrew] Janocko are going to do a great job of utilizing them [to] help us score the football.”
Personally, Washington could legitimately become one of the best RB2s in the league by the end of his rookie season. The sky’s the limit for the Raiders’ fourth-round draft pick.
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