The Washington Commanders went into Thursday night, having just six picks in the 2022 NFL Draft. When the time came to make a pick with their first one, they struck a deal with the New Orleans Saints and added two more selections. Five picks later, they selected wide receiver Jahan Dotson out of Penn State.
The Deal
Washington surrendered their 11th overall pick to New Orleans. In exchange, the Saints gave up the 16th overall pick, as well as picks in the 3rd (98th overall) and 4th (120th overall) rounds.
The Commanders now have eight picks in the Draft, which puts them in a considerably stronger position to find some winners.
The 16th Overall Pick
The Commanders surprised a few people when they selected Dotson, but perhaps only because he wasn’t as talked about in the media as some of the other wide receivers. The reality is that there was a massive run on receivers – with SIX going in the first eighteen picks.
Obviously the tremendous amount of money being paid at the position this off-season, is really making franchises look at their options. If you can land a bona fide future superstar early in the draft, it can save a franchise close to $100M in future salary cap.
It was the first time Head Coach Ron Rivera has used his first round selection on the offensive side of the ball. Jamin Davis and Chase Young were Rivera’s defensive selections in his first two seasons.
Dotson was also the Washington Commanders very first draft pick.
What Did They Get?
As for Dotson himself, he has been called by some, “the surest hands in the Draft.” He dropped just two balls in 138 targets last year. That’s obviously a major selling point for an NFL receiver.
At 5’11” and 180-ish pounds, he’s definitely not the biggest pass catcher in the league. He will need to eat some meat and potatoes and put some weight on that frame.
But he was a real menace at Penn State and very difficult to cover. While there may not have been the hype to his game, that say Drake London or Garrett Wilson received, he does seem ready to deliver the goods at the next level.
The 22-year-old had 91 catches for 1,182 yards with the Nittany Lions last year. He also scored 12 touchdowns. In fact, he had 21 career receiving touchdowns at Penn State – ten of them more than 40 yards. He is a legitimate deep threat. He ran a 4.43 40-yard dash.
He also has special team experience. He is an excellent punt returner, which will potentially fill another need.
Strengths
NFL Draft Buzz had this to say about Dotson:
A slippery runner with elusive footwork. Has little to no wasted movements between the reception and burst upfield.
Shows quickness off the snap to shake off corners and create room. Separates with hesitation moves and nice acceleration.
Dotson is a big-play producer. Since the start of last season, he is tied with Olave, Smith, and Jaelon Darden for the most 20-plus-yard TD catches in the country with 11.
Check out the rest of the profile here.
Strong Athlete
In high school, Dotson began showing his elite athleticism. He won the PIAA state championships in both the 4×100 relay and long jump (2016).
He also won regional state titles in both the 100m and 200m in 2018.
Now A Strength?
Dotson joins Terry McLaurin, Curtis Samuel, Cam Sims and 2021 third-round pick Dyami Brown in the receiving corps.
That has the potential to become a dangerous unit, and new quarterback Carson Wentz should hopefully have enough reliable targets to put together a comeback season.