Ron Rivera Reflects on Commanders Trade for Jahan Dotson

A year later, the Washington Commanders are happy they traded down in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft.

A year removed from using the No. 16 overall pick on wide receiver Jahan Dotson, Washington Commanders coach Ron Rivera is happy with how the first round played out for the team. 

Commanders general manager Martin Mayhew turned the No. 11 pick -- which Washington traded to the New Orleans Saints, who selected Chris Olave -- into the 16th selection, along with 2022 third and fourth round picks. In Rivera's estimation, it was a shrewd move. 

"We were fortunate last year we went backwards. Martin made a great deal for us, got us a few more picks, and the guy that we liked the most was sitting right there and we were able to get Jahan [Dotson]," Rivera said. "Again, not a lot of people knew that's the direction we were going. A big part of it was we didn't bring him in for the 30 visit. But that's the truth. I mean, you know, we were very fortunate and again, as Martin said, a lot of it was, we created a better opportunity for us by being able to go backwards.”

When healthy, Dotson had some impressive moments in his rookie season. In 12 games, the Penn State product caught 35 passes for 523 yards and seven touchdowns. 

In an honest moment, Rivera and the Commanders would almost certainly concede that they would rather have Olave -- who had 72 receptions for 1,042 yards in his rookie  season -- than Dotson. 

With that said, Dotson looked like a capable No. 2 wide receiver to pair with Terry McLaurin in his rookie season, and because of the trade, the Commanders were also able to draft running back Brian Robinson Jr. and safety Percy Butler in 2022. 

To a degree, the Commanders chose quantity over quality with the draft-day trade. And how the trade is ultimately viewed will likely come down to how productive Robinson and Butler are in their tenures with Washington. 

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