Commanders Draft Grade: Penn State WR Jahan Dotson 'Too Safe' For Washington?

The Commanders added a play-making receiver. Is it the right call?

Let's get this out of the way right now: The Washington Commanders are a better football team Friday morning with the addition of Penn State's Jahan Dotson. Receiver was a need for the organization and they corrected the problem. 

Jahan Dotson

Jahan Dotson

Jahan Dotson

Maybe fans wanted more out of a top-20 selection. Especially after trading down and passing on a can't-miss safety prospect in Notre Dame's Kyle Hamilton.

But entering the offseason, perhaps the Commanders' top need was finding a complementary piece to pair with Terry McLaurin. They also needed to find stability for new quarterback Carson Wentz in terms of weapons. 

Last season, Wentz connected with seven targets for at least 20 receptions. The Commanders only had six players with at least 20-plus catches, but only two were receivers. 

Dotson was a consistent weapon for the Nittany Lions during his four seasons, averaging 15.1 yards per catch and scoring 25 total touchdowns. His route-running is superb.

So, why does this feel like a sub-par pick? Commanders general manager Martin Mayhew revealed a key nugget into how valuable the 11th selection was. 

"We had opportunities to go back pretty far in it," Mayhew said. "We had teams that were in the teens. We had one team in the 20's and we had one team in the 30's that we were talking to." 

The Detroit Lions likely were the team in the 30s wanting to move up. After the New Orleans Saints moved to draft Ohio State receiver Chris Olave, the Lions traded their first-, second- and a third-round pick to the Minnesota Vikings to select speedy Alabama target Jameson Williams. 

For as much as the Commanders hope Wentz can stabilize the offense, he's not enough for Washington to feel content as a front-runner in the NFC, let alone its division. By gaining back more picks than the ones lost in the Wentz trade with Indianapolis, one could simply call the move a push while hitting the reset button. 

Jahan Dotson

Jahan Dotson

Jahan Dotson

And the value at receiver and cornerback would have been there late. Currently, Clemson cornerback Andrew Booth Jr. UTSA's Tariq Woolen and Washington's Kyler Gordon all are still available. Georgia linebacker Nakobe Dean and Utah's Devin Lloyd were still on the market by No. 27 pick.

So were North Dakota State's Christian Watson, Western Michigan's Skyy Moore and Georgia's George Pickens, two receivers who also were viewed as complementary pieces to a No. 1 weapon.

"Moving back, we felt pretty comfortable with it and probably the biggest thing, more than anything else, is one of the guys we really liked was there and that's why we jumped on it," Washington coach Ron Rivera said. 

Washington gained back its third-round pick lost in the Wentz deal, but it could've added more. Dotson will have to meet immense expectations out of the gate as a high-volume receiver that will win with speed and sure hands. 

Again, Washington improved by adding Dotson. It could have, however, done more for the short-term future by taking calls and moving back even more.  

Final Grade: B-