Washington's humility, big plays impress mates

When the Steelers selected James Washington in the second round of this year's draft, the immediate thought was that he would be the team's replacement for Martavis Bryant.

Bryant had been traded to Oakland for a third-round draft pick a day earlier, leaving the Steelers with a 6-foot-4 hole in their lineup. Could the 5-foot-10 Washington fill it? That was the team's hope.

"We like James a lot. He’s not the biggest, he’s probably not the fastest, but he’s as good a deep receiver has played college football this year," Kevin Colbert said after the draft had been completed.

Washington has done anything but disappoint so far. In fact, his efforts in the Steelers' 51-34 preseason loss at Green Bay last Thursday night shows a player who is exactly as advertised, and he's starting to make an impression on his teammates.

"Yeah, he’s impressive, really impressive," All-Pro guard David DeCastro told me of the rookie.

Impressive enough to help this team replace Bryant this season?

"It looks like it," DeCastro said. "He’s making some plays. He’s got huge talent, plus he’s a rookie, so it’s good. He’ll be a good matchup for us."

Washington had five receptions for 114 yards and two touchdowns against the Packers, with each catch seemingly better than the last.

It was a far cry from his first preseason game at Philadelphia, where he had just two receptions, though one was a 35-yard jump-ball catch over former Pitt cornerback Avonte Maddox. Washington again put his ridiculously strong hands -- something he attributes to tossing hay bales on his parents' farm -- on display against the Packers, particularly on his two touchdown catches.

On the first, he went over Green Bay cornerback Demetri Goodson to make the grab on a pass that was a bit underthrown by Josh Dobbs. On the second, he outwrestled corner Herb Waters on a back-shoulder throw that was a little too far to the inside for another touchdown.

"He’s got a great ability to catch the ball. I keep telling him to just put that on display," said fellow receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey. "We can work on some of the other things, but keep on displaying that, because that’s what you’re paid to do."

It took Bryant six games before he was even active in his rookie season in 2014 because of a lack of detail in his route-running. While he would burst onto the scene as a player who could simply run past defenders, he never showed much of a route tree as a rookie. And he certainly didn't win many of the contested catch situations that Washington has already shown he is adept at managing.

"We ran every route at Oklahoma State that we run here," Washington said. "I feel like I can run them all."

That's about as much bravado as you'll get from Washington, who hails from the tiny town of Stamford, Texas, which is located just north of Abilene in the north-central part of the state. His soft-spoken approach is far different from many other receivers around the league -- and on his own team.

"Being humble? I think a lot of it is just personality," Heyward-Bey told me. "We play a position where we score points. When you score a touchdown, you get excited. Big plays are being made. But your personality is your personality. You’re going to be who you are. I think that’s who he is. I think he really understands that he really hasn’t made a play in a real game. So, he understands he still has work to do. We watched film (Saturday). He’s still taking notes. He understands he’s still getting better."

Still getting better. That's got to be a scary proposition for opponents, who already have to deal with the league's top receiver, Antonio Brown, one of the best running backs in the league in Le'Veon Bell, and a blossoming young talent in JuJu Smith-Schuster. Those three accounted for 244 of the team's 384 catches last season.

Bryant had 50 catches and those must be replaced. But it doesn't leave a lot for anyone else, particularly when the majority of Smith-Schuster's 58 catches came in the second half of last season.

That's why his teammates are interested in seeing how Washington will perform against better competition. To this point, he's largely played with and against backup players. That could change when the Steelers play the Titans in their third preseason game Saturday. Ben Roethlisberger and many of the front-line players who have sat out the first two preseason games are expected to play.

And there's a good chance Mike Tomlin will want to see Washington working with that group.

"Obviously, the competition is different, but making plays like that against what is still good competition, plus the way he’s making them, it’s a great sign," DeCastro said. "We see it in practice too. I like him, too, because he’s humble, quiet and just goes about his job. It’s good to see."

MATT SUNDAY GALLERY