Of all the former Baltimore Ravens coaches and players who followed John Harbaugh to the New York Giants, there hasn’t been much attention paid to defensive back Ar'Darius Washington.
Granted, Washington only played 29 games in five seasons with the Ravens, and 17 of those came in 2024. He frequently battled injuries throughout his tenure in Baltimore, including a torn Achilles last spring.
Harbaugh and defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson clearly feel that the 26-year-old Washington still has untapped potential. ESPN’s Jordan Raanan understands the hype, writing that Washington “looks natural” in Wilson’s defense.
Raanan also reported that Washington could potentially play both slot cornerback and safety.
What New York Giants fans must know about new defensive back Ar'Darius Washington
A freshman All-American and standout safety at TCU, Washington unexpectedly went undrafted in 2021. Although he stayed healthy in college, he weighed in at 5-foot-8 and 176 pounds at the combine. That’s undersized even for a mid-major defensive back, let alone a Power 4 cornerback hoping to crack an NFL roster.
“He’s a good football player, but he’s too short to play over the top and you see him struggle against length when he’s near the box,” an AFC scout told NFL Media ahead of the 2021 draft. “I love the player, but how do you play him?”
But to his credit, Washington played well when given a starting spot in 2024. The issue is his extreme injury history, and it’s why the Giants only guaranteed him $1.5 million as part of his prove-it deal. Wouldn’t we all love to be in a position where we’re all able to use the term “only” when discussing a $1.5 million guarantee?
In all seriousness, Washington still has age — he doesn’t turn 27 until November — and familiarity with the staff working to his advantage. Harbaugh and Wilson would not have brought him to New York if they didn’t believe in his abilities when healthy. It was a shrewd move by both Harbaugh and Joe Schoen, and fans should be excited by Raanan’s praise.
Saturday’s preseason opener against the Vikings provides an excellent opportunity for Washington to prove that he’s worth the risk. Making it through the three-game exhibition slate without an injury should obviously be the priority for any player, but Washington is in a position where he cannot afford even a short-term problem that would limit him in the season’s early weeks.
If Washington stays healthy and plays to his potential, he could easily find himself securing a multi-year contract next spring — and with how mediocre the NFC East looks, he might even have added another division title to his resume.
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