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The Washington Commanders have been extremely busy this offseason. It all began when the 2021-2022 season came to a close, and the team announced its rebrand. From the Washington Football Team to the Commanders, it was a fresh start for the franchise.
Since then, a lot more has changed and happened to shape the organization. They acquired Carson Wentz in a trade with the Indianapolis Colts, and he's expected to be their starting play-caller for the upcoming season. Washington was also highly involved in the 2022 NFL Draft with eight overall acquisitions, three out of the first three rounds.
With the 2022-2023 season just around the corner, the Commanders are in preparation mode, figuring out how to shape the seemingly brand-new team. The Commanders used their only first-round pick to draft Jahan Dotson No. 16 overall. The 22-year-old wide receiver, new to the team and the league, has the potential to emerge as the Commanders' X-factor this season.
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Commanders X-Factor To Emerge in 2022 NFL Season
The 2022 NFL Draft class is full of promising wide receivers. However, Dotson is in the perfect spot to prove his stardom in his rookie year with the Commanders. Of course, the team already has its top two receivers, Terry McLaurin and Curtis Samuel. The two have already proved to be top receivers at the professional level.
However, the growth that Dotson showed through his four seasons with Penn State says everything we need to know. He's destined to be a star NFL wide receiver, and it starts this year.
Performance at Penn State
Dotson was a huge contributor to the Nittany Lions' success throughout his four years with the team. As time went on, Dotson got more and more opportunities to prove himself. In his freshman year, 2018, Dotson recorded 13 receptions for 203 yards. Fast forward to his senior year, in which he recorded 91 receptions for 1,182 yards and 12 touchdowns.
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The main thing that sets Dotson's path to success apart from everyone else's is his consistency. Each season, the wide receiver drastically improved and was more productive. This is a great characteristic to have heading into the NFL.
One of the things that held teams back from drafting Dotson was his size. He's 5'11 and 184 pounds, noticeably smaller than other NFL receivers and receivers in his draft class. However, this clearly didn't stop him from succeeding in college. Pro Football Focus described him as “one of the most difficult receivers to cover in the class,” noting his 97.8% catch rate his senior year.
Advantage of the Commanders and the rebuild
Dotson isn't expected to receive the title of Commanders' No. 1 wide receiver his rookie year. As mentioned earlier, there are a couple of players ahead of him in that regard. However, this is a big advantage for the stealthy young star.
Defenders will likely focus on receivers like McLaurin, who led the team in receptions and receiving yards last season. This leaves Dotson wide open, granting him an opportunity to capitalize on his extremely high catcher rating.
Not to mention, this season is different for the entire Washington offense, not just Dotson. While he's entering a new league and a new team, the Commanders are working under a new quarterback. This evens the playing field since Carson Wentz and the other receivers don't have any offensive chemistry yet.
In his rookie year, expect Dotson to have at least 50 receptions for 600 yards. He's going to be the Commanders' secret weapon this year.
