What to Expect from Washington First-Round Pick Jahan Dotson
Opinions don't win games, players do - with the help of coaches of course - and the Washington Commanders believe they got themselves a player who is going to do a lot of good for the franchise.
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Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images
Selecting Penn State wide receiver Jahan Dotson with the 16th overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, following a trade with the New Orleans Saints moving out of No. 11 - head coach Ron Rivera says the team knew early on what they liked about him, ultimately leading to some of the surprise reactions.
In his meeting with D.C. media, Dotson said he was surprised to get a call from the Commanders, and how early in the process the call came in. Part of this is because he simply didn't talk to Washington decision-makers all that much during the evaluation period.
According to Rivera, this is because the team simply didn't have questions about the receiver, and only pursued meetings and Zoom calls with prospects they did. A practice not unique to Washington alone, and certainly not new in Rivera's career.
Back with the Carolina Panthers, Rivera said he met with linebacker Luke Kuechly just once before spending a first-round pick on the linebacker in 2012.
In contrast, he met with quarterback Cam Newton "a lot" before making him the No. 1 overall pick in 2011.
What Rivera and general manager Martin Mayhew saw in Dotson was catch radius, aggressiveness getting the ball, and the versatility to play in the short and intermediate parts of the field while simultaneously threatening to stretch the field on every play.
Bottom line, he's a playmaker, and with an upgrade at quarterback for the Washington Commanders, Dotson is a player Rivera and Mayhew feel could unlock a lot of potential for their offense in 2022.
