Watch: James Washington Makes Several Impressive Grabs During Steelers Training Camp

James Washington is eyeing a potential breakout year for the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2019. The second-year pro has been the talk of the locker room, namely of All-Pro wideout JuJu Smith-Schuster, for his improvement between Years 1 and 2.

He transformed his body during the offseason, coming in this spring an agile 15 pounds lighter than he was last year, and also says that he’s immersed himself in the playbook, trying to view the game “like a quarterback” does.

While all of that work should aid him in getting on the field and in his attempted breakout, it’s his innate ability to make plays that made him a star at OSU, and that excites Steelers fans.

Check out this impressive footwork and a contested grab a fan caught on video in the first week of training camp.

James Washington vs Coty Sensebaugh pic.twitter.com/wcL7TTI956

— OG Slim  (@Jody_McFly) July 24, 2019

And then Washington showed off his ability to get loose here.

Nice move by James Washington to get separation in the open field and make the catch.#Steelers pic.twitter.com/48FfrtOrDw

— Zach Metkler (@GZSports_ZM) July 31, 2019

And his impressive mitts here.

That snag ?@JamesWashington pic.twitter.com/ik7sI2nCRU

— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) July 31, 2019

Training camp highlights do not always translate success on Sundays in the fall, but Washington has put the work in and is apparently a different player than he was when he showed up for training camp as a rookie.

Washington’s progression is expected based on his timeline and his work ethic, according to Pittsburgh head coach Mike Tomlin.

“I think that can apply to any second-year guy,” said Tomlin. “That’s why we were always really comfortable expecting a big jump in consistency and performance from all of those guys.

“This is not their first lap around the track. From an assignment standpoint, they’ve got a better understanding of what they’re being asked to do. They’re not learning things for the first time. They’ve got a sense from a conditioning standpoint the rigors of this process. So they come into it with more trained, professional bodies.

“I think that speaks for him, Jaylen Samuels and anybody else that you could talk about in that class.”

Now stronger, quicker and more experienced — and with the absence of Antonio Brown demanding targets — the door is wide open for Washington to make a splash in Year 2.

But in true Washington form, he downplayed his desire to prove anything this fall.

“I’m just taking it day-by-day and I’m trying to better than I was yesterday and that’s all I can do at this point,” Washington told Steelers.com.