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The Washington Commanders selected former Penn State wide receiver at No. 16 overall in the 2023 NFL draft. This was after the Commanders moved down from No. 11, acquiring two more picks in the process that eventually landed them quarterback Sam Howell and tight end Cole Turner.
Still, some questioned Washington passing on Chris Olave to move down and select Dotson.
As it turns out, Dotson proved to be a smart selection for the Commanders. Despite missing five games and being limited in others with a hamstring injury, Dotson caught 35 passes for 523 yards with a team-leading seven touchdown receptions.
Dotson did this with inconsistent quarterback play and an offense that lacked creativity under former coordinator Scott Turner.
Now fully healthy and with Terry McLaurin and Curtis Samuel also on the team, could Dotson be primed for a breakout campaign in 2023 under new offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy?
Adam Rank of NFL.com recently named Dotson as Washington’s breakout player for the upcoming season.
I know it’s kind of weird to have McLaurin as the MVP and Dotson as the breakout star — especially given the question mark at quarterback — but here we are. Just look at that Week 18 game against the Cowboys. Now, our guy Terry was a stud, hauling in three receptions for 74 yards and a touchdown (that score wasn’t even the 52-yard reception, either). But Dotson’s three receptions for 72 yards really stood out to me. He jumped off the film and was out there just blowing past Cowboys defenders. This is what the Commanders need this season.
Fair points by Rank here. If Howell hits at quarterback — and he doesn’t need to be a superstar — then Bieniemy will see to it that each of Washington’s top three receivers sees plenty of targets. If Dotson is healthy and gets the ball, he can be a difference-maker for the Commanders in 2023.