The Las Vegas Raiders very much controlled their own destiny on Day 3 of the 2026 NFL Draft.
With Tennessee cornerback Jermod McCoy available and the Raiders just one pick from potentially getting him, they traded up and didn't take any chances. Arkansas running back Mike Washington Jr. was also out there for the taking not even a round later, so Las Vegas traded up again to get him.
But players typically fall in the draft for a reason, and the Silver and Black, and this fanbase, needed to realize that. And after a strong enough preseason, McCoy had a rough outing during the team's first preseason game against the Arizona Cardinals, looking like a fourth-round rookie usually does.
Washington Jr., however, completely stole the show. Not only did he lead the game in rushing yards and have the single biggest play of the night, but Washington Jr. showed early signs of correcting several concerns that were pinned on him during the pre-draft process.
Raiders RB Mike Washington Jr. did all the little things in preseason debut
Lance Zierlein is one of the most respected NFL Draft analysts in the business, and for good reason. Here were his perceived weaknesses of Washington Jr. coming into the NFL, based on his college film and other evaluation tools.
- Needs to gather steps getting into downhill cuts in outside-zone schemes.
- Can be a step slow to see the opening and trigger downhill.
- Needs to become more willful and aggressive between the tackles.
- Lacks sudden acceleration for ideal escapability in small spaces.
- Fumbles have been an issue over the last two seasons.
- Has size for pass protection but is missing consistent grit.
To those first two points, Washington Jr. led the game with 63 rushing yards on six carries, his biggest being a 53-yard jaunt in which he perfectly read a slew of great blocks, quickly triggered downhill, then bounced it outside, stiff armed a defender and raced to the sideline.
Coming out of college, Raider Nation and the coaching staff knew that the 6-foot-2 running back with 4.3 speed was capable of hitting the corner and making big plays. But diagnosing so many blocks, seeing the opening and taking it was already another level for this young player to hit.
As far as the third and fourth bullet points, Washington Jr. also converted in several short-yardage situations between the tackles against Arizona's first-team defense. His acceleration may not have been top tier, but he used his big body to grind for yards and move the chains.
That fifth bullet can't quite be disproven yet, but on six touches, Washington Jr. did not fumble. The sixth and final bullet point is where the rookie fourth-rounder may have grown the most, though, as he put several great blocks on display.
While running with the first-team offense, Washington Jr. had a great blitz pickup, which gave Kirk Cousins both the time and peace of mind to get the ball out. Washington Jr. also made a great chip with the second-team offense to help thwart the defender that Charles Grant was blocking.
Also impressive was Washington Jr. being a safety valve for Fernando Mendoza and making himself available to the young quarterback when nothing else was open. The play was called back for a hold, but it doesn't change the fact that the did it.
So, not only did Washington Jr. flash with a big run, but he did the little things as well. Head coach Klint Kubiak was impressed with what the rookie did in his preseason debut, but not necessarily surprised, as he told reporters after the game.
"Pleased with what Mike [Washington Jr.]," Kubiak said. "Mike did some good things just like he practiced. I think he was the same player that we've seen in practice. Had a big run, just got to keep giving him more outs as preseason goes."
When Washington Jr. spoke to the media, it was obvious that the young running back was proud of the performance he put on tape. He had the following to say about his game-long 53-yard jaunt and how it feels to break a big run like that.
"It was electrifying. It's kind of like how Fernando [Mendoza] said, it's like your first day going back to school, playing your first game. I know it's a preseason game, but it's my first game. Being able to break a long run like that my first game was dope."
Yes, that was arguably the play of the night, at least for the Raiders. But when Washington Jr. gets back into the film room with his position coaches and teammates, that won't be the play that they're looking at when evaluating how much more of an opportunity he will get.
Washington Jr. is known to do things like that; breaking a big run wasn't a surprise. His quieting several of his pre-draft concerns so early on was, though. The rookie isn't selling himself short with his lofty NFL goals, and based on his first performance, he may just get there.
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