Commander Country

Did Commanders Make 'Questionable' Decision to Draft WR Jahan Dotson?

The Washington Commanders' first round pick is being scrutinized by critics.

Jeremy Brener

After making eight selections at last week's NFL Draft, the Washington Commanders were able to fill a lot of their needs.

rivera dotson

Jahan Dotson

Jahan Dotson.

Jahan Dotson

Jahan Dotson

Jahan Dotson

However, CBS Sports is scratching their heads with one pick in particular, the first-round selection of Penn State wide receiver Jahan Dotson.

Dotson is a good football player capable of attacking all three levels of the field. Although undersized, he shows strong hands and no tentativeness through traffic. Washington could ultimately be correct in its assessment of Dotson, but Alabama's Jameson Williams, Ohio State's Chris Olave and Arkansas' Treylon Burks were all higher-rated players for CBS Sports. The Commanders had an opportunity to select any of those players at No. 11 overall but elected to trade down where they selected Dotson. 

Before the NFL Draft, it was reported that the Commanders were extremely high on Ohio State wide receiver Chris Olave, who was eventually taken with the No. 11 pick after the New Orleans Saints made a deal with the Commanders to take him.

Jameson Williams, who was drafted directly after Olave at No. 12, was also someone believed to be a potential pick.

In the trade back, Washington received No. 16, but also No. 98 (Alabama running back Brian Robinson Jr.) and No. 120, which was traded again to the Carolina Panthers for two fifth-round picks (North Carolina quarterback Sam Howell and Nevada tight end Cole Turner).

Jahan-Dotson

Jahan Dotson

Jahan Dotson

Jahan Dotson

Jahan Dotson
Photo by Zach Bolinger/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Jahan Dotson

Trading five spots back allowed the Commanders to take Dotson, who was higher on Washington's board than the consensus. Arkansas wide receiver Treylon Burks was on the board at No. 16, but despite being higher on the CBS Sports board, was passed in favor of Dotson.

It's clear that the Commanders really feel like there is something special about the Penn State wideout. Now it's all about getting the opportunity to prove it.

Published
Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.

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