2022 NFL Draft Profiles: How Jahan Dotson Could Spark the Jaguars
The 2022 NFL Draft season is upon us.
Among the 32 teams building their rosters to compete for the next Lombardi Trophy is the Jacksonville Jaguars, who hold 12 picks in this season’s draft -- including the No. 1 overall pick. The Jaguars are entering a new era after the Urban Meyer tenure, making this draft as pivotal as one could imagine.
As we march closer and closer to April’s draft, we will look at individual draft prospects and how they would potentially fit with the Jaguars. Instead of looking at any negatives, we are going to look at what the players do well and if they could match what the Jaguars need at the specific role or position.
In our next prospect breakdown, we take a look at Penn State wide receiver Jahan Dotson and whether he could add an extra element to the Jaguars' offense.
Overview
A four-star receiver in the 2018 class per 247Sports, Jahan Dotson was a coveted wide receiver out of high school. The No. 36-ranked receiver (No. 6 in Pennsylvania, No. 192 nationally) opted to commit to Penn State over offers from Alabama, Auburn, Clemson, Ohio State, Michigan State, USC, and others.
Appearing in eight games as a true freshman in 2018, Dotson was able to quickly crack the Penn State lineup on offense. The 5-foot-11 receiver and high school track star caught 13 passes for 203 yards as a freshman, a respectable 15.6 yards per catch mark.
Dotson's playing time increased as a sophomore in 2019, resulting in him catching 27 passes for 488 yards (18.1 yards per catch) and five touchdowns, all third on the team. He began to stand out as an explosive threat, with his 18.1 yards per catch being the fifth-highest mark in the Big 10 in 2019.
In 2020, Dotson truly exploded onto the scene as an every-down starter and the sparkplug of Penn State's offense. In nine games, he recorded 52 receptions for 884 yards (17.0 average) with eight touchdowns, giving him nearly 100 yards per game. He led the Big Ten in yardage and was tied for the most catches of 60-plus yards in the country with four.
Dotson's final year with Penn State saw his receptions total skyrocket, with Dotson catching 91 passes for 1,182 yards (13.0 yards per catch) and 12 touchdowns. Thanks to four consistent years of production and an explosive final two years in college, Dotson ended his Penn Stae career with 183 catches for 2,757 yards (15.1 yards per catch) and 25 touchdowns.
What Jahan Dotson Does Well
A stick of dynamite at the wide receiver position, Jahan Dotson is clearly one of the most explosive players on the field every time he takes it. Dotson is a former high school track star and this is obvious when watching him on the field, with him having instant acceleration and ability to hit a second-gear from anywhere on the field. He is a weapon after the catch but his speed and lighting-quick movements come in handy at all times.
Whether before or after the catch, Dotson is lighting in a bottle that defenses struggle to keep up with. Dotson is able to get open as a route-runner because he has quick and concise footwork and is able to put pressure on defensive backs from the snap of the ball thanks to his speed. He eats up cushions in coverage quickly and is able to force defenders to flip their hips due to the threat of a vertical route, with few cornerbacks not having massive respect for his deep speed.
Dotson has some nice moves as a route-runner thanks to his change of direction and overall balance. He is a very controlled mover who is able to shake defenders in man coverage and quickly throttle his speed down on comebacks, curls and other routes that bring him back to the ball and quarterback. He also shows a terrific understanding of zones and how to avoid traffic, especially in the middle of the field.
Dotson's hands are a big selling point as well. He is able to extend to bring in passes outside of his frame, whether on deep passes that require adjustments or passes across the middle of the field that call for him to shield the ball away from defenders. He plays bigger than his size and ultimately can give his quarterback a safe and reliable target who isn't afraid of taking a hit at any level of the field.
How Jahan Dotson Would Fit With the Jaguars
While Dotson doesn't have the size to be the Jaguars' answer at the X receiver spot in the event they have to replace DJ Chark, I still think he is a player whose fit with the Jaguars is obvious on a few levels. The No. 1 thing the Jaguars' offense was missing last year was playmakers, and Dotson would fill that need in a big way.
The fact that Dotson has the long speed to win as a deep threat and the explosiveness to get open and win after the catch at the other levels of the field help make him such a versatile threat. He can be an offense's home run hitter and field stretcher, or he could be their volume target who they attempt to get into space.
Simply put, Dotson would improve the Jaguars' team speed and overall playmaking ability right away. He could either get a starting nod from the slot or at Z, though the slot may be better off for him early in his career considering his size and frame. Regardless, he would fit into the Jaguars' offense as a starting receiver who can be a versatile weapon.
Dotson has the type of skill set that Doug Pederson-coached offenses have prioritized in the past as well. He is a better prospect than Jalen Reagor was in 2020, but he offers some similar enticing traits in terms of his explosiveness and overall size. The Eagles had wiry receivers who could take the top off the defense during Pederson's tenure, and Dotson fits that bill.
Verdict
I have Drake London as my No. 1 receiver and I do not think I will be moved off that unless he bombs at the NFL Scouting Combine, so he is naturally the receiver I think is the best fit for the Jaguars in this class. But I personally think I would put Dotson right behind him, even ahead of players like Jameson Williams and Chris Olave.
The reasons why? I think Dotson could be a player similar to Diontae Johnson in terms of his explosiveness, but with more "possession receiver" type qualities. The way he can extend and win with the ball in the air and become a safe target over the middle, I am convinced that he will be able to continue to play bigger than his size indicates.
Dotson has the speed to be their deep threat, the separation and yards after catch ability to open up the underneath portion of the field and is functional both outside and in the slot. If the Jaguars can get Dotson at No. 33, it would be a home run.
For all of our 2022 NFL Draft profiles, click below.
