2022 NFL Draft Prospects to Watch: Texas vs. Oklahoma

Oklahoma DB Woodi Washington vs. Texas WR Jordan Whittington

If Texas is going to have a chance on Saturday, they’re going to have to air it out a little bit. Oklahoma is likely going to rack up points, so the question will be, can the Longhorns match them? How the matchups on the outside shake out will largely decide that. Oklahoma’s defense is known for their front seven, but redshirt sophomore defensive back Woodi Washington deserves some recognition too.

Woodi Washington isn’t a big corner at 5’11” 191, but he makes up for it in other ways. Washington does well with positioning, often getting in the receiver’s hip pocket when covering him. This allows him to make a play on the ball, and he’s skilled at using his hands to knock the ball away or out of the receiver’s hands. More of a cover corner, Washington had four passes defended last year in addition to two interceptions. While he did have 44 tackles in 2020, his tackling could use some improvement as well as his ability to catch the ball instead of simply batting it away when defending receivers. The great cornerbacks consistently make the interception and secure the turnover when the opportunity presents itself.

One of the bigger surprises in the Big 12’s early going is Texas wide receiver Jordan Whittington. The Cuero, TX, native is third in the conference in receiving yards with 324. He’s averaging 15.4 yards per catch and has hauled in three touchdowns. He’s a versatile player that has just popped up on scouts’ radar ahead of the 2022 NFL Draft. Whittington was a running back his first year in Austin, but only played in one game.

The 6’1” 203-pound wide receiver has caught as many passes this season as he caught all of last year (21). What really stood out on tape for me when watching Whittington was his strength. He was strong going up for the ball and especially after the catch. The first tackler rarely brought him down and he excelled at gaining yards after reeling the ball in.

Depending on how Oklahoma’s defense sets up it’s likely Woodi Washington will be in coverage against Whittington or fellow Longhorns receiver Xavier Worthy, who leads the Big 12 in touchdown catches with four. If Washington is matched up on Whittington, it should be a good test to see how well he can handle a bigger, stronger receiver, like those that he’ll face in the NFL.