It was a relatively mild surprise when Oregon Ducks defensive tackle A’Mauri Washington decided to return to Eugene for another season at the conclusion of the 2025 campaign. The first-year starter impressed so much so that he was surging up draft boards and projected by many to be a first-round pick if he decided to declare for the 2026 NFL Draft.
But Washington had other plans, opting for another run at a national title with the Ducks with hopes of further bolstering his draft stock along the way.
Washington comes in at No. 2 on The Athletic’s Dane Brugler’s 2027 NFL Draft preseason defensive tackle rankings, with his explosive power serving as one of his best traits. At 6-foot-3 and 330 pounds, Washington is a hulking presence in the middle of the defense. But he isn’t some slow-footed gap-filler; instead, he’s a quick-footed, heavy-handed problem for opposing offenses.
In 2025, the Michigan native consistently collapsed the pocket and rammed through pulling guards, having a significant hand in Oregon’s 24th-ranked rushing defense.
“At this time last year, Oregon had to replace a pair of early-round draft picks at defensive tackle and faced several question marks on its D-line,” Brugler wrote about Washington’s 2027 NFL Draft outlook. “But Washington quickly moved from “unproven” to “asset” in 2025, and his flashes of talent are why he starts the season as my top-ranked senior at the position.
“Can he take that next step in his senior year and be more of an impactful presence? Last season, he finished with just 4.5 tackles for loss, including 1.5 against FCS Montana State in the season opener. The tape and traits matter much more for his NFL evaluation as stats can be misleading (the clip above won’t show up in the box score), but his efficiency and consistency could determine if he is a slam-dunk top-25 pick or more of a top-50 selection next April.”
Another reason that Washington was so dominant in 2025 and projects to be again this season is the presence of fellow defensive tackle Bear Alexander.
Also considered to be a draft pick if he’d declared, Alexander decided to return to Eugene as well after his first season as a Duck. Brugler has Alexander listed as his No. 3 defensive tackle amongst seniors, with Washington holding down the No. 1 spot.
Rarely does one team have two of the top defensive tackle talents in college football on the same roster, but that’s the case for the Ducks in 2026 and they hope it leads them to a deep postseason run while vaulting both player’s draft stocks.
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This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: Oregon’s A’Mauri Washington named No. 2 DT prospect in CFB
