It’s unclear exactly what Parker Washington’s role with the Jaguars will look like in 2024 after Jacksonville reshaped its wide receiver room this offseason. But the club is optimistic that the best is yet to come for the second-year wide receiver, and it might not be alone in taking that stance.
Sports Illustrated’s Conor Orr named Washington as the Jaguars’ most underrated player on Tuesday — a projection, he admitted, but one he believes is warranted following Washington’s performance as a sixth-round rookie with Jacksonville last season.
O.K., this may be a tad out of left field and more of a projection. Washington had some difficult moments last year, but did rise to the occasion when getting worked into the offense toward the end of the season. The catches he did make were often difficult ones and showed some clear finesse on his part. Having a solid contested catch reputation as a rookie is always worth noting. Relative to his draft slot—Washington was a sixth-round pick out of Penn State in 2023—the Jaguars asked a lot of him. All indications from this offseason seem to be that he’s growing in the offense, and while the Jaguars imported a lot of talent at the position, Washington is healthier than he’s ever been. Plus, the great John Shipley, the king of the Jaguars beat, likes him, too. Isn’t that enough?
Washington appeared in nine games and started one during his rookie campaign with the Jaguars. He stepped into the wide receiver rotation meaningfully in Week 13 and logged 20+ offensive snaps in every game through the end of the year, after starting slot receiver Christian Kirk suffered a season-ending core muscle injury.
Washington posted 16 receptions for 132 yards and two touchdowns offensively and added value as a return specialist, averaging 10.5 yards per punt return attempt and 25.5 yards per kick return attempt.
Jaguars offensive coordinator Press Taylor praised Washington for the growth he displayed throughout Jacksonville’s offseason workout program last month, noting his rookie year was impacted by an ankle injury suffered during his final college season at Penn State.
“Parker is playing a lot more confidently. I think he’s a lot healthier than he was this time last year when we got him,” Taylor said on June 11. “[He’s] not worried every time they break the huddle about, ‘What I’m doing, where is my stance, how does this route change?’ Now it’s he’s heard it a hundred times. So we give a play call, we give a route, we move him around. He knows the expectations of that particular player in that particular concept and so now you just see the skill set start to come out.
“That confidence is a big thing. He’ll continue to grow. He was put in the fire last year was moved around a couple spots, made some plays. I think that certainly contributes to some confidence from the playmaking itself.”
The Jaguars’ free-agent signings of wide receivers Gabe Davis and Devin Duvernay, and first-round selection of receiver Brian Thomas Jr. in the 2024 NFL draft, make it difficult to predict how often Washington will be utilized in Jacksonville’s offense moving forward.
Still, he showed promise across his opportunities as a rookie and appears to be on an upward trajectory entering his second season with the club.
