Mike Washington Jr. spoke to The Mirror U.S. about his background from Utica and his game as the Arkansas product hopes to prove his worth at the NFL Scouting Combine
11:28 ET, 28 Feb 2026
Mike Washington Jr. is looking to climb draft boards with a strong NFL Combine performance
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Mike Washington Jr. is looking to climb draft boards with a strong NFL Combine performance(Image: Getty Images)
The NFL Scouting Combine continues with a banner day on Saturday.
At Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, running backs, quarterbacks, and wide receivers will take to the field to showcase their ability for potential future employers. Heisman Trophy contender Jeremiyah Love is the headline talent to watch, and the Notre Dame product has been linked with the Kansas City Chiefs.
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However, a later round option could be Mike Washington Jr., who looks up to Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs. At 6’2” and 225 pounds, Washington is deemed a power option in a committee - but his explosiveness and straight-line speed stand out; Washington clocked over 20 mph seven times in 2025.
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“I'm a three-down back,” Washington exclusively told The Mirror U.S. “I have the ability to punish the defender. I can make him miss. My lateral quickness makes up for a lot of things, and I think I can explode downfield on any play.
“I’m a versatile back. I've played with multiple different coordinators, offensive coordinators, and different schemes, so I feel I'm really versatile when it comes to those things.”
Combined with his fine vision for blocking angles and open lanes, Washington could emerge as an intriguing early-down option. He forged his game in an unlikely setting, as Utica, New York, tends to breed hockey and baseball players rather than NFL prospects. Washington hopes to break the mould.
“I’m from upstate New York,” Williams said. “I'm from Utica, New York - not a lot of people make it from the city.
Utica is a rough place, you know? But I was fortunate enough to not get caught up in a lot of things. So really this is just about showing everybody from back home that you could be from a city like Utica and still make it out, whether it's being a professional athlete or really just getting your degree.”
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Mike Washington Jr. is an interesting prospect backed by many to be a sleeper in the 2026 NFL Draft
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Mike Washington Jr. is an interesting prospect backed by many to be a sleeper in the 2026 NFL Draft(Image: Getty Images)
Washington first wore boxing gloves before he put on a football helmet and slipped on cleats. Boxing was the first sport he took up, but when he was 8 years old, Washington’s father asked him if he wanted to play football - and he has never looked back: “I just stuck with football.”
At Cicero–North Syracuse High School, Washington played on both sides of the ball, featuring at running back and defensive end among other positions: “I played multiple positions. I was on the line at one point! I was a defensive end at one point. I played corner, receiver. I played a bit of everything.”
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Washington dominated at running back, the position where he caught the eye; he rushed for 1,432 yards and 15 touchdowns, and committed to Buffalo. After three years, Washington featured for New Mexico State and Arkansas, impressing enough to secure a Second-team All-SEC berth in 2025.
Now, Washington is ready to showcase his exciting athletic ability ahead of the NFL Draft. He prides himself on versatility and burst, while his background at Utica means Washington can “absolutely” handle cold weather. He said so with a smile.
Washington will try to handle the Combine on Saturday before he gets to grips with the NFL in a few months.