John Spytek hasn't been acting like himself on Day 3 of the 2026 NFL Draft. Outside of sticking and picking in Round 1, Spytek has developed a reputation as a general manager who likes to trade back in the middle and late rounds to stockpile assets and give himself plenty of flexibility.
But Spytek took a different approach on the final day of this year's event, trading up from No. 102 to No. 101 to land Tennessee cornerback Jermod McCoy. To follow that up, Spytek sent the No. 208 pick to the Atlanta Falcons to move up from No. 134 to No. 122 in the heart of Round 4.
Aggression in landing "his guys" has been the name of the game for Spytek, and this time, the Raiders' "guy" was Arkansas running back Mike Washington Jr. Not only is he an incredible player in a vacuum, but Washington Jr. is the perfect complement to star Ashton Jeanty.
Las Vegas Raiders just found perfect Yin to Ashton Jeanty's Yang
Whereas Jeanty is a smaller and more compact player, Washington Jr. was built in a lab. At 6-foot-1 and 223 pounds with long arms, 4.33 speed and an elite athletic profile, he should be able to handle both the big hits in short yardage situations and provide homerun hitting ability with his speed.
After grinding up through the lower-level FBS ranks at Buffalo and New Mexico State, Washington Jr. put his talents to the test in the SEC last year, and he answered the call. He ran for 1,070 yards and 8 touchdowns in 2025, averaging 6.4 yards per rush, and tacked on 226 yards through the air.
He is obviously not a perfect prospect and has some work to do with reading holes in an outside zone scheme, and Washington Jr. put the ball on the ground too much in college. But he has the physical makeup of a great NFL running back, is great in space and has proven SEC production, which counts.
Washington Jr.'s speed is truly underrated, as he can bounce outside in a hurry and make defenses pay. He'll punish defensive backs for not wrapping up, juke his way around linebackers and beat defensive linemen to the spot. Washington Jr. is fully capable of being a great NFL running back.
His pass protection skills are lacking a bit, but that is the case with so many young running backs. Give him a year under Klint Kubiak and running backs coach Omar Young, however, and Washington Jr. may be able to utilize his excellent frame to stave off pass-rushers.
Kubiak has always wanted a dual-running back approach, and he has now finally gotten his guy. Washington Jr. was a third-round talent who slipped into the fourth round, and as his slide continued, Spytek couldn't stand for it.
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