As we near closer to NFL preseason, there are several Penn State rookies to keep an eye on. One of them is wide receiver [autotag]Jahan Dotson[/autotag]. Dotson was selected by the Washington Commanders with the 11th overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. He has already turned heads in camp and is in a perfect situation to succeed.
This has been mentioned multiple times but Dotson will be so much better in a WR2 position and he’ll get to play next to Terry McLaurin, who recently signed a three-year extension worth $71 million, and Curtis Samuel.
Dotson put himself on the map in the 2020 season at Penn State, after [autotag]KJ Hamler[/autotag] departed for the NFL. As mentioned in his draft profile, one trait separating him from several rookie wide receivers in this class is his route running. In his past two seasons with the Nittany Lions, Dotson really developed into a more complex route runner with an expanded route tree. Dotson’s speed will also help Washington to really open up that offense. He can be a deep threat, but where Dotson really excelled at was his short routes and his elusiveness. Dotson’s speed after the catch is another trait that will help Washington’s offense.
Outside of McLaurin, there really isn’t anyone that can be as consistent with their hands as Dotson can be.
Washington’s receiver room has plenty to prove, with Curtis Samuel playing in just five games in 2021. In 2021, Dotson earned a PFF grade of 87.5 after just two dropped passes out of his 138 targets.
McLaurin finished with over 1,000 receiving yards. Their second best behind him was J.D. McKissic with 397 yards. Let me repeat that. 397 yards. Yes, Samuel was hurt for much of the season, playing in just five games. Before last year, he has been fairly reliable and has been healthy much of his career thus far. However, his best season came in 2020, but he caught just three touchdowns passes.
Samuel also has a catch radius that ranks him 54th in the NFL. With Samuel playing the slot in 2022 and Dotson moving into that WR2 spot, Washington’s wide receiver core is promising.
They have the depth, but much of it is unproven. As mentioned, Washington’s wide receiver room has plenty to prove this season. Not that it’s a red flag, but Dotson isn’t overly physical after the catch. He does rely a bit too much on his speed. People will knock players for being too light, but a good number of them have played their way around it. DeVonta Smith is a perfect example.
Washington has the speed and the talent in their wide receiver room. They just need players that can be more consistent like McLaurin.
Dotson is certainly capable of being a number one option. He did it at Penn State with a struggling quarterback and an offense that saw it’s ups and downs in 2021. However, him being in Washington and playing alongside McLaurin will help his game immensely because he won’t be under as much pressure to flourish as the “leading guy” in their wide receiver room.
Washington was in desperate help of building their wide receiver room, and Dotson is set up in a nice position to succeed. McLaurin did nothing but improve his game every year since he has entered the league. Dotson now has a good chance to do the same.
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