One Broncos receiver impressed Russell Wilson before they even met

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — We knew that the potential of Montrell Washington dazzled special-teams coordinator Dwayne Stukes in pre-draft evaluations.

But what we learned Thursday was how much Washington impressed Russell Wilson, too.

It’s no secret that Wilson has involvement in the Broncos’ draft discussions. General manager George Paton confirmed that in April.

“There are so many talented players in the draft every year, and I love watching the guys,” Wilson said. “I love watching the receivers, the tight ends, the running backs. I love watching the linemen, too.”

But among them, Washington stood out.

“I’ll never forget going to [Paton’s] office and he’s like, ‘Hey, I want to show you some clips; I’ve got a bunch of receiver clips.’ And we watched every single receiver — literally. When I say, ‘every single receiver,’ I mean every single receiver, probably for a good hour and a half, two hours.

“And we watched every single guy. And then we came across this guy named Montrell Washington. And we looked at each other, like, ‘He may be the one.'”

Wilson spoke Friday of his trust in Paton and coach Nathaniel Hackett. The pre-draft conferences helped build that. But it certainly didn’t hurt that Paton ultimately picked a player in whom Wilson saw a spark.

The season to come and beyond will provide a test of Wilson’s scouting abilities, such as they are. Although the truth regarding Washington is that Paton, Stukes and Wilson all saw the same flashes in the Samford product.

“Obviously, George and his team have done an amazing job finding great talent,” Wilson said. “How they pick these guys — it’s been really special.”

But if Washington flourishes, this won’t be the last time Paton leans on Wilson’s quick-strike evaluation.

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