Raiders select DeAndre Washington at 143: Staff reactions, grades

The Raiders finally took a running back to complement Latavius Murray when they drafted Texas Tech running back DeAndre Washington in the fifth round of the 2016 NFL Draft.

Tyler Green

The Raiders already have a 1,000 yard running back and Pro Bowler in Latavius Murray, but the Silver and Black really needed depth at the position as they ranked 28th in yards rushing in 2015. Washington is a great complementary back to Murray as he is a threat in the passing game in the Darren Sproles and Giovani Bernard mold. While Murray is a power running back, Washington is great in space and his elusive rating was the third-best in the 2016 NFL Draft according to Pro Football Focus.

He had great production at Texas Tech and ran for 1,492 yards (6.4 ypc) and 14 touchdowns in 2015 along with 385 receiving yards and two touchdowns. While I would have rather seen the Raiders take UCLA running back Paul Perkins, Washington fits the mold of a complementary back that will be dangerous in the passing game and on third down.

Grade: B+

RDreamer

I like this pick for the Raiders. Washington is a short but tough runner who played well in a Texas Tech offense that threw the ball all over the field and he was a big part of that. His speed catches larger defenders by surprise and he is tough enough to get the difficult yards on third down. The Raiders have needed another player like this for a while and while Washington isn't the flashy power back we expected, he can be a Branden Oliver type and give the Raiders a dimension they don't have.

Grade: B+

Jeff Spiegal

Well folks, you got your running back...but I'm guessing it's not the one anyone expected. With Paul Perkins and Alex Collins still on the board, the Raiders got their guy a€” he just happened to be someone other than Paul Perkins and Alex Collins.

I don't know much about Deandre Washington, but if I'm Latavius Murray, I'm thrilled with the pick. This guy doesn't appear to be a three-down back for Oakland (maybe I'm wrong), but more of a complimentary piece to Murray. In his final two seasons, Washington reeled in 71 passes for over 700 yards and four touchdowns. I'd like to think of this as Roy Helu's walking papers.

Grade: C

Marcus Allen Krause

I am happy with this pick, Reggie McKenzie continues to do well in the late round. The Raiders absolutely needed this type of running back, and luckily the run on the under rated running back class this year didn't start until late. DeAndre Williams is a mighty mouse running back that will fill a big need for Oakland.

Williams is only 5'8 which makes his 204lb weight actually pretty impressive. He is somebody who will immediately be able to contribute as a role player for the Raiders in 2016. His 4.46 40 yard dash shows he is faster than given credit for, and he was very overlooked throughout the draft process considering his impressive production at Texas Tech.

Grade: B

Levi Damien

When you hear DeAndre Washington description, he perfectly fits what the Raiders are looking for. His production is very good, and this is around where he was expected to be drafted. But I watched his tape and I just wasn't impressed. He's undersized at 5-8, 200 pounds and he dances a lot which won't work in the NFL. When the Raiders pick was coming up and UCLA's Paul Perkins was still on the board, it seemed like a slam dunk. He's bigger (5-10, 205) and has better production. That being said, Washington is also the type of back the team needs to complement Latavius Murray. Any grades on who will have a better career between he and Perkins is for down the road.

Grade: B+