Jacksonville Jaguars select Parker Washington in 6th round of 2023 NFL Draft

The Jacksonville Jaguars have selected Penn State wide receiver Parker Washington with the No. 185 pick in the sixth round of the 2023 NFL Draft.

Washington has spent the last three seasons as one of the Nittany Lions top pass catching threats. He emerged as a starter as a freshman, grabbing 36 catches for 489 receiving yards and six touchdowns.

As a sophomore, Washington didn’t start every game but his numbers improved to 64 receptions for 820 yards. He continued that level of production in 2022 with 46 catches for 611 receiving yards.

But Washington only played 10 games before missing the rest of the season with a foot injury. He then declared for the draft in December, forgoing his final two years of eligibility.

The decision to declare for the draft despite his injury surprised some but Washington said it was the right choice for him.

“You have to bet on yourself and be confident in yourself,” Washington said in March. “At the end of the day, it is a gamble. If I come back, it’s a gamble. You have to be willing to attack that and put your best foot forward and be confident.”

He attended Richmond (Texas) Fort Bend Travis, where he was a four-star recruit coming out of high school. Washington was the No. 357 overall recruit and No. 68 wide receiver in the 2020 On3 Industry Ranking. The On3 Industry is a proprietary algorithm that compiles ratings and rankings from all four major recruiting media services. The On3 Industry Ranking is the most advanced, complete and unbiased rating and ranking measurement in the industry. 

Washington is the cousin of former Tennessee quarterback Joshua Dobbs. Dobbs was the drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the fourth round of the 2017 NFL Draft.

He started two games this past season for the Tennessee Titans. Dobbs is now on the Cleveland Browns roster.

What NFL draft analysts are saying about Parker Washington

NFL.com analyst Lance Zierlein says Washington is “elite in the air” and a very good pass catcher. However, his explosiveness and burst are below average.

“It’s easy to see that Washington has worked hard on all aspects of his craft,” Zierlein wrote in his scouting report. “He’s not the most athletically gifted player, but he uses all of his talent to maximize his on-field production. Washington plays with well-developed ball skills and the toughness needed to make challenging catches, but finding open windows against man coverage will be difficult, due to his lack of shake and separation. His size and run-after-catch ability help his cause as a backup and possession slot receiver.”