How Dwayne Washington May Sneak His Way Onto Lions' Roster
By Will Burchfield/ Follow Will @Burchie_kid
DETROIT (CBS DETROIT) - Rookie Dwayne Washington is a long-shot to make the Lions' roster as a running back.
But he's carving out a role for himself nevertheless.
Drafted in the seventh round of the 2016 draft, Washington is slowly emerging as a proficient kickoff-returner. He has both the speed and the size requisite for the job, and the Lions have begun to set him loose.
"He's a big body, and he's willing," said Jim Caldwell. "Back there is an area that obviously you need some speed to hit the holes, and hit them quickly, but you also need some girth to withstand some of the impact that happens on those plays.
"He has both of those, just in terms of attributes. We're looking forward to seeing him grow and develop that way."
Washington is listed at 6'2 and 225 pounds. At the draft combine, he ran a 4.40 forty-yard dash. Though neither aspect of his game is noteworthy on its own, together they make him a good fit for a straight-line, high-collision job.
At the University of Washington, he was featured primarily as a running back. In high school, he played wide receiver. Kickoff returns have never been his forte, and Caldwell acknowledged Washington has experienced some growing pains in adjusting to a new role.
"But what he does have, is you can see he can run," the coach said.
That he can.
Though not exceptionally elusive or explosive, Washington can gallop with the best of them when he slides it into gear. He seems to possess after-burners on a straight-line course, which translates well to the duties of a kickoff-returner.
Wind it up, and let it rip.
Washington was plagued in college by issues of fumbling. The Lions still need to see him make strides in this regard, which partly explains their listing him last on the depth chart among running backs heading into Friday's preseason tilt against the Steelers.
That's also a product of the time he missed during the first round of spring OTAs while he was finishing up his degree at Washington. When he showed up in early June, the 22-year-old wasn't quite up to speed with the offense or the pace of play, a gap he's still trying to make up.
"He's really catching up. I think he's moving in the right direction, but he's got a lot of ground to cover," Caldwell said.
When it comes to kickoff returns, he seems to be covering that ground exceptionally fast. The door may be shut for Washington at running back, but he seems to be prying open another with his unique combination of speed and size.
