Commanders draft Jahan Dotson: Washington gets Carson Wentz another weapon

STATE COLLEGE, PA - OCTOBER 02: Jahan Dotson #5 of the Penn State Nittany Lions celebrates after catching a pass for a touchdown against the Indiana Hoosiers during the first half at Beaver Stadium on October 2, 2021 in State College, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
By Ben Standig
Apr 29, 2022

NFL Draft 2022 tracker: Live blog and pick-by-pick analysis

The Washington Commanders sought more offensive help for new quarterback Carson Wentz and wasted little time in the NFL Draft accomplishing that desire by selecting Penn State wide receiver Jahan Dotson 16th on Thursday night.

The Commanders, with only six selections entering the draft, traded down from No. 11, getting picks 16, 98 and 120 from the Saints.

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Dotson returned to Penn State for his senior season in 2021 because he wanted to leave no doubt that he was an early-round NFL Draft pick.

At 5-foot-10 1/2 and 178 pounds, Dotson knew he didn’t have some of the physical attributes that would jump out to talent evaluators. He’ll never be the biggest or the fastest, but Dotson believed if he could excel as a route runner, get stronger and continue to catch seemingly everything thrown his way, NFL teams would have to take notice.

Draft grades: Sheil Kapadia weighs in on the picks
Big board best available: Who’s left from Dane Brugler’s Top 300?

Big board ranking: Dotson ranked 25th on Brugler’s board. There was a case for Arkansas wideout Treylon Burks (who went 18th to the Titans) and perhaps Boston College offensive lineman Zion Johnson (17th to Chargers), Washington cornerback Trent McDuffie (21 to Chiefs) or Utah linebacker Devin Lloyd (27th to the Jaguars).

How he fits: Terry McLaurin is one of the league’s top receivers, but has received little help from his fellow pass catchers during his three seasons. Washington gets Curtis Samuel back after an injury-riddled 2021 season, and now Dotson joins the mix.

The 5-foot-11 receiver with 4.43 40-speed caught 91 passes for 1,182 yards and 12 touchdowns last season for the Nittany Lions. Dotson could immediately take over as the third receiver with the capability to line up outside or in the slot. The selection of Dotson, whether intended or not, also gives the Commanders a position hedge amid contract extension negotiations with McLaurin.

“Although (Dotson) is undersized,” Brugler writes, “he has above-average hands and natural body control with maybe the largest catch radius of any sub-5-foot-11 receiver I have ever scouted.”

Second guess? Burks is a bigger receiver who went off the board two picks later. Washington was thought to desire USC’s Drake London before he was selected by the Falcons at No. 8. The Commanders recently held a private workout with Burks, so they had plenty of information.

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Rookie impact: This is a team with two pass-catching running backs, plus a viable tight end in Logan Thomas, along with McLaurin and Samuel. In other words, Dotson won’t be force-fed the ball. Rookie receivers can take a minute to develop, but he will have a real shot for significant work. Dotson’s role could include special teams. He returned punts in college, and Washington lost last year’s returner, DeAndre Carter, in free agency.

Depth-chart impact: Dotson will battle 2021 third-round pick Dyami Brown and red zone target Cam Sims for snaps.

Fast evaluation: Dotson’s playmaking will be a welcome addition, but landing the extra picks is arguably the story here as Washington has several depth holes to fill along with a back-seven defender need. They can at least check off the offensive playmaker from the list, and they now have additional picks to work with in the third and fourth rounds.

(Photo: Scott Taetsch / Getty Images)

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Ben Standig

Ben Standig is a senior NFL writer focused on the Washington Commanders for The Athletic. The native Washingtonian also hosts the "Standig Room Only" podcast. Ben has covered D.C. area sports since 2005 and is a three-time winner of The Huddle Report's annual NFL mock draft contest. Follow Ben on Twitter @benstandig