As soon as the Raiders selected DeAndre Washington out of Texas Tech in the fifth round, the comparisons began to fly around. And if you were one of the people who said Maurice Jones-Drew, Washington is in full agreement.
"A Maurice Jones-Drew type," Washington said of what NFL running back he emulates. "Small, compact, but very physical at the point of attack."
"Just a guy that I've heard along my career."
The interesting thing about MJD is he was drafted out of UCLA by the Jaguars when current Raiders head coach Jack Del Rio was there. Del Rio has a type and with the success MJD had in the NFL, Del Rio is hoping he can catch lightning in a bottle once again with the 5-8, 200-pound Washington.
When you talk about MJD, usually it's about his ‘bulldog' stature. Stocky and elusive. But what also comes up is the legendary block he made on former Chargers defensive end Shawne Merriman.
Blocking is one of the criticisms Washington gets due to his stature. Usually the chosen words are "willing blocker". It's an area Washington says he takes personal.
"I think you watch my film, anytime I get a chance to take on defenders especially in pass blocking, I play with a chip on my shoulder when it comes to that part of my game, so I definitely take that very personal. I look forward to protecting Derek Carr or whoever the quarterback may be."
"I think it just comes down to willpower. Just the tenacity. Pass blocking is all tenacity. You deliver a blow instead of take the blow, you're gonna win a lot more than you lose."
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