Wylie Gober from New Jersey asks:
"Outside of Mendoza, which rookie (including UDFA) are you looking at and will have a big impact this season?"
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 for 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.
While Ashton Jeanty is the clearcut RB1, Washington has a good chance to carve reps for himself and be a suitable change of pace back as a rookie.
"Coming from pro-style offense at Arkansas, we excelled at wide zone, also inside zone," Washington said after being drafted. "So, I have a familiar familiarity with it. I believe that I could come in and really, that would be my advantage, having a familiar with running wide zone at Arkansas."