Former Commanders' 1st-round pick hopes third team is the charm
Article excerpt
One former Commanders' first-round pick believes he was never showcased properly.
Everyone raised eyebrows when the Washington Commanders used a first-round pick, No. 16 overall, on Penn State wide receiver Jahan Dotson in the 2022 NFL Draft. It wasn't that Dotson wasn't a solid prospect, because he was. After all, he finished his college career ranking No. 2 in career receptions and No. 4 in receiving yards in school history.
Washington initially held the No. 11 overall pick in 2022 and badly needed a wide receiver opposite Terry McLaurin. Sounds familiar, huh? The Commanders were often linked to Ohio State receiver Chris Olave, but former head coach Ron Rivera received what he felt was a phenomenal offer to move back five spots, add more picks and still land a receiver.
To move back five picks, the Commanders came out of that deal with Dotson, quarterback Sam Howell, running back Brian Robinson Jr. and tight end Cole Turner. While Howell and Robinson had their moments in a Washington uniform, none of the four made it through their rookie contract with the Commanders.
Speaking of Dotson, he was traded not long into general manager Adam Peters' first training camp in charge of the roster. After a few short practices, Peters and head coach Dan Quinn saw enough of Dotson and traded him. They didn't just trade him, but traded him inside the division to the Philadelphia Eagles. That was a huge win for Peters, extracting a third-round pick and two seventh-rounders for Dotson.
In two seasons with the Eagles, Dotson appeared in 34 games, catching 37 passes for 478 yards and one touchdown. He was less effective in Philadelphia than he was in Washington, where he caught 84 passes for 1,041 yards and 11 touchdowns across two seasons.
The Eagles did not pick up Dotson's fifth-year option, and this offseason, he signed a free-agent deal with the Atlanta Falcons.
Now, Dotson believes he's finally in the right place.
"I want to be one of the greatest," Dotson told Josh Kendall of The Athletic. "I’m not afraid (of saying that). I was talking to Jessie Bates, and he was talking about wanting to be the best who ever played, and I’m comfortable with those sort of things. I want to be one of the best in the league. I want to show my talent. I haven’t really gotten to do that."
That's great that Dotson feels that way. He should. Every player should. And after his rookie season with Washington, he appeared well on his way, catching 35 passes, seven of which were touchdowns. However, not so sure about a lack of perceived opportunities.
Dotson also said he never felt like his talents were showcased. That may be true in Philadelphia, where he played alongside A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith, but in Washington, the Commanders badly needed Dotson to step up opposite Terry McLaurin. Dotson got a fresh start in 2024 when Peters and Quinn arrived. That's on him. Not the Commanders.
The good news for Dotson is that he's still only 26. Maybe the third time, or in this case, the third team, is the charm.
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Former Commanders' 1st-round pick hopes third team is the charm