How Casey Washington fits in with the Atlanta Falcons

When the Atlanta Falcons selected former Illinois receiver Casey Washington with the 187th pick in the 2024 draft, fans hadn’t heard of the 23-year-old receiver. Another reason for the receiver to keep that “chip on his shoulder” that attracted general manager Terry Fontenot to him in the first place. However, in the weeks following the draft, Washington became one of the darlings of a draft that most found disappointing for the Falcons.

So it’s only fitting that we look at Washington’s potential fit in Atlanta’s projected offense under offensive coordinator Zac Robinson and see the impact the “prototype receiver” can have.

Good points

Prototypical size and speed

In his post-NFL press conference, Fontenot said Washington is the prototype receiver. At 6’0″, 197 pounds, Washington ran a 4.46 40-yard dash, jumped 10′ broad and had a 39.5″ vertical at his Pro Day. With that mix of size and speed, Fontenot immediately dreamed of him as a shooter on kickoffs and in punt coverage. He also uses that big frame to his advantage in the running game as a blocker.

Bona Fide Balloon Winner

Washington won at Illinois by beating would-be defenders when the ball was in the air. Washington knew how to maneuver his body, whether in a backside fade or one-on-one on the outside, to put himself in the best position to make a play with the ball. And he has plenty of experience with contested passes. According to PFF, of his 85 total targets last season, 30.6% of them (26) were contested, tied for 12th among all players in the country with more than 75 targets. Of these 26, he attracted 53.8% (14).

Casey Washington, Illinois (and now Falcons) receiver: 49 catches last season, 10 explosive plays. 6’2″, 200 pound vertical receiver who can be a real problem for defenses on soft balls. Atlanta got it right. pic.twitter.com/Xm9G7T9o3m

– Doug Farrar ✍ (@NFL_DougFarrar) April 28, 2024

Field stretcher

Outside of a 50/50 game-winning ball, Atlanta’s offense needed a vertical stretcher. Rondale Moore is best horizontally and Darnell Mooney should use his route running ability to separate from defenders. There was no immediate threat on the field for the Falcons. Washington was tasked with being that vertical threat for the Illini last season, running down the sidelines and being tasked with winning one-on-ones. Washington was also tasked with winning on quick tunnel screens and deep crosses, also demonstrating his ability to expand the field horizontally.

Negative points

Separation

Despite his speed, Washington doesn’t separate from defenders very well. He doesn’t change direction well as he ran a 7.39 three-cone shuttle and a 4.43 20-yard shuttle. He’ll need to loosen his hips a bit if he wants to separate himself from NFL defenders using anything other than just running past them.

Road-Runner Limited

Washington was not asked to run a nuanced route in Illinois. He performed a lot of passes, fades and go-balls down the field while lining up tunnel screens closer to the line of scrimmage. While he has the speed to become a solid pass catcher, he will need to work on some of the nuances that come with being a consistent pass-catching option for an NFL offense.

Conclusion

Washington has a spot on this list. whether on offense as a deep ball threat to start or simply as a special teams shooter, Washington will find his place on the field in 2024. With a little development, who knows, Washington could potentially be a mainstay for Robinson and this Falcons offense. for the coming years.