Are Terry McLaurin, Commanders WRs Underrated?

Is the Washington Commanders' group of pass catchers given enough credit nationally?
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The Washington Commanders wide receiving corps has a lot of promise. 

However, when they stack up with the rest of the league, they don't stand out as much.

Pro Football Focus recently ranked the top receiving corps in the NFL, a countdown that included not only wide receivers, but tight ends and running backs as well. Despite the resources that the Commanders have poured into their receiving corps in recent years, they checked in at 19th.

While he just missed out on our SI/FanNation countdown of the top 10 wide receivers in the NFL currently, there's no debate here in regards to McLaurin's talent. Since being selected in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft, McLaurin has recorded 299 receptions for 4,281 yards, despite a musical chairs situation at quarterback for Washington. 

As mentioned by PFF, Dotson had flashes after being selected out of Penn State in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft, catching 35 passes for 523 yards in 12 games. But certainly, there's hope in D.C. that Dotson will be able to play in all 17 games this season, allowing him to make a more consistent impact. 

Samuel, meanwhile, is entering the final season of a three-year, 34.5 million contract he signed after spending the first four years of his career with the Carolina Panthers. He had 64 catches for 656 yards last season after being limited to just five games in his first season in Washington. Given that he's entering a contract year, this is obviously a big year for Samuel, who is still only 26. 

With Josh Harris' ownership group set to take over imminently, 2023 may as well be a contract year for everyone in the organization. And head coach Ron Rivera, offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy and the current group of pass catchers are all very dependent on second-year quarterback Sam Howell taking a major step forward this season. 


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Tim Kelly
TIM KELLY

Tim Kelly is a contributor to SI's team sites. Additionally, Kelly covers the Philadelphia Phillies as the Editorial Director for PhilliesNation.com. Previously, Kelly has been a producer at SportsRadio 94 WIP and a content producer for Audacy Sports, with written content syndicated to WIP, WFAN, WEEI and some of the biggest sports radio stations in the country. Kelly also has previously written for SportsTalkPhilly.com and Section 215, FanSided's Philadelphia affiliate. Kelly is a 2018 graduate of Bloomsburg University, with a major in Mass Communications and a minor in political science.