Jahan Dotson an Intruiging Potential Draft Target for Buffalo Bills
INDIANAPOLIS — Depending on who you talk to around the NFL these days, Penn State wide receiver Jahan Dotson could be selected anywhere from the middle of the first round to the middle of the third in this year's NFL Draft.
Whether the Buffalo Bills would consider snagging him with their first pick, at No. 25 overall, is something they would never reveal until they're on the clock.
But it's something they at least owe it to themselves to discuss, especially because of the potential crisis they face at that position.
Emmanuel Sanders has an expiring contract. He will turn 35 this month and is contemplating retirement.
Isaiah McKenzie, a potential heir to the slot position so masterfully manned by Cole Beasley for the previous three seasons, is due to hit unrestricted free agency as well.
Beasley will turn 33 next month and will carry a salary cap hit of $7.6 million, a number they can reduce to $1.5 million by letting him go.
Even as a first-round pick, Dotson would represent some serious cost-control with perhaps greater upside than any of them.
He also is willing (and able) to handle the return duties that McKenzie and last year's sixth-round pick, Marquez Stevenson, were relieved of when coach Sean McDermott lost faith in their ability to deliver in bad weather. But unlike McKenzie and Stevenson, Dotson is a proven performer in frozen conditions all around the Big Ten.
Although Dotson wants the ball more than he gets it, he understands it doesn't work that way. He's a teammate first, a great individual talent second.
At Penn State, his catch totals rose from 13 to 27 to 52 to 91 as a senior, when he finished with a career-best 12 TD receptions. He also averaged 13.5 yards on 25 career punt returns.
Dotson was even good on the gadgets, completing both pass attempts as a senior for 43 yards.
As of Wednesday morning, the Bills were one of the teams that had interviewed him.
"Just getting to know me, putting a face with the name, talking about the previous year, watching my film," Dotson claimed. "Just getting to know me, basically."
So what does he know about them?
"It's very cold there," he said. "Stefon Diggs is someone I truly look up to. One of the great receivers in the league right now. Very young, talented quarterback [in Josh Allen]. It would be a great opportunity. ... He's one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL right now, and I would be extremely excited for the moment."
Dotson is most proud of his ability to do it all because he can comprehend it all.
"Definitely my versatility, playing inside and outside, being able to play any wide-receiver position on the field," Dotson said. "When I get the ball in my hands, it's exciting. I'm an explosive player. Very fast. I can take the top off a defense. I'm just ready to make the most of my opportunity, wherever I land."
Catching the football is all Dotson wants to do, and he doesn't necessarily have to be open to make plays. He's never let his limited size (5-11, 185 pounds) keep him from making contested catches a specialty.
"That's just something I've been working on my entire life," Dotson said. Been catching the football since I was about 3 years old. So really, when I think about it, catching the football is pretty much therapeutic to me. It's something I really enjoy. So, growing up, catching contested passes is something I've been doing my whole life."
So to recap:
Speed: Check.
Production: Check.
Football IQ: Check.
Foul-weather ability: Check.
Student of the game: Check.
So keep an eye on Jahan Dotson. Better yet, keep both eyes on him. Because he moves kind of fast.
Nick Fierro is the publisher of Bills Central. Check out the latest Bills news at www.si.com/nfl/bills and follow Fierro on Twitter at @NickFierro. Email to Nicky300@aol.com.
