With The First Pick
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2016 NFL Draft: early look at Ohio State’s Adolphus Washington

By Jon Dove

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Ohio State’s Adolphus Washington is a versatile and developing defensive line prospect. He’s often overshadowed by Joey Bosa, but Washington is a good player in his own right. With increased consistency, he has a chance to sneak into the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft.

Washington has a combination of size, bulk and length that allows him to play multiple roles. Ohio State often asked him to anchor at the point of attack and occupy blockers. He shows the ability to get inside hands and extend his arms while also disengaging to make plays away from his frame.

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However, he also has a solid first step which makes him a threat to work his way into the backfield. His commitment to using his hands/arm extension to create space also plays a role in his ability to make plays behind the line of scrimmage.

This clip shows Washington disrupting the play with his penetration:

The issue is that Washington needs to become a more consistent player. He has a tendency to raise his pad level which hurts his ability to hold at the point of attack. It also slows his first movement off the snap putting him in poor position.

This clip shows Washington slowly getting out of his stance, raising his pad level and getting sealed from the play:

Washington’s draft stock depends slightly on how Ohio State plans to use him this season. I’d love to see them allow Washington to focus on penetrating the pocket. Last year, Michael Bennett got that opportunity but he has since moved on to the NFL.

Showing increased explosiveness off the line and the ability to generate inside pressure would really help Washington make his case to be an early pick. Either way, he still has upside thanks to his size, length and play strength.

Current Draft Position: 2nd Round

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