2021 NFL Draft: TCU safety Ar’Darius Washington scouting report
By Jonah Hovis
In the upcoming 2021 NFL Draft, there is a very exciting prospect out of TCU who plays the safety position that is getting some first-round buzz. That player is Trevon Moehrig, not the player featured in this article, who has proven to be a nice addition to the backend of any secondary. TCU this year played a lot of deep three safety looks and another guy who lined up next to Moehrig has made a name for himself to be another guy to one of the top safeties selected in the 2021 NFL Draft.
Ar’Darius Washington has shown flashes to be a problem in the secondary at the young age of 21. Washington was great in his first full college football season as a redshirt freshman in 2019, where he had five interceptions. Although his ball production was not as great during his redshirt sophomore year (he did not intercept any passes in 2020), he still made plays in the run game and on the back-end of the TCU defense.
Washington has a smaller frame than your typical safety standing at only 5-foot-8 and weighing in at around 180 pounds. That being said, his hip flexibility and cover flexibility compares to the best in the 2021 NFL Draft class at the position. Although this is a knock where he could be outmatched in non-favorable macthes with bigger receivers and tight ends. Even with Washington being a smaller size, the effort and ability still shine on tape.
Safety is becoming a very flexible position, as you see guys like Derwin James, lining up at strong and free safety, slot, and even some off-ball linebacker roles on complex defenses and nickel sets. Washington has the flexibility to play deep in the secondary, slide into the slot corner role, and even come off the edge to blitz. Washington will be most likely used as a development-free safety in the league but has shown the skill set to be placed where needed to be.
Washington is known for his great eye in zone coverage to help over on deep balls and even break up routes in man coverage. He has also shown he can hold his own in the run game and make saving tackles in the deeper levels of the defense.
It is not about the size of the dog in the fight, it’s about the fight in the dog is the best way to view Washington. Washington has great hip flexibility to go along with flexibility on the field which is a reason he is an exciting prospect in the 2021 NFL Draft.
Moehrig is getting most of the hype, but let’s not sleep on Washington’s upside at the next level. There is a good chance that these two TCU safeties will be the first players at their position taken off of the board in the 2021 NFL Draft.