Josh Doctson was a former first round pick for the Washington Redskins. After a disappointing rookie season, the young wide-out has a chance to develop into a top receiver for the team.
One of the catches that Josh Doctson made during his rookie season was enough to make many Redskins fans excited about his future. Against the Cowboys, Doctson broke away from the opposing defensive back in Week 2. He had a few steps between himself and the defender and an accurate pass from Kirk Cousins would have resulted in a touchdown. Cousins’ pass came up short, but Doctson was able to adjust to make the 57-yard catch and try to fuel the Redskins comeback.
Unfortunately, that would be one of two catches that Doctson would make in his rookie season. He only appeared in two games before a nagging Achilles injury caused him to miss the rest of the season. Doctson had suffered an Achilles strain in the offseason, and it is absolutely fair to say that the Redskins tried to rush him back from the injury too soon. They are lucky that he did not suffer a most serious injury that could have further derailed his career.
In 2017, Doctson is going to have a chance to break out. With the team’s top two receivers from last season gone, the Redskins are going to have to have players step up and fill the roles next to slot receiver Jamison Crowder. Terrelle Pryor is going to be one starter. Doctson needs to be able to become the other one for the Redskins to remain competitive.
While that may seem like a tall order for Doctson, it shouldn’t be. The first rounder has the raw ability to succeed at the next level, and if he can stay healthy, he may produce earlier than most expect.
Josh Doctson’s skill set
In looking at Doctson, you can see a player that has the potential to be a complete, No. 1 receiver at the NFL level. During the 2016 NFL Draft, many touted his 6-foot-2 frame and ability to adjust to passes as his top skill set. He was going to be able to translate to the NFL right away as a red zone weapon and his ability to beat defenders to the ball was going to allow him to succeed early on.
However, Doctson’s speed was underrated as a result of this. Many were focused on Will Fuller as the top speed receiver in that year’s draft class, and many thought that Corey Coleman was right behind him. That said, Doctson has shown game breaking ability comparable to those two, albeit in a tiny sample, despite being much larger than both players. The fact that he can pick and choose when to use speed or size should allow Doctson to beat many defensive backs.
Of course, there are negatives for Doctson too. One of the biggest problems is his lack of experience. He has only played in small parts of two NFL games and needs to make sure he is able to execute the offense in 2017. He should know it, after being on the sideline for the majority of last season, but he needs to make sure that he is healthy and can run crisp routes to help out Cousins more.
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It appears that Doctson has been able to do that at the start of training camp. Per CSN Mid-Atlantic’s JP Finlay, the Redskins receiver has been impressive. Finlay said the following of Doctson in an article after Day 1 of training camp.
"Josh Doctson stole the show in individual drills. He showed his precise blend of size and athleticism and repeatedly beat Bashaud Breeland on a variety of routes. The Doctson that showed up on Thursday is the Doctson the Redskins drafted in the first round last season, the same guy that dominated at TCU two seasons ago. If that guy shows up during the season, he will be a valuable weapon for Kirk Cousins and the Redskins."
That is definitely a good sign. And if you don’t believe in Finlay, Stephen Czarda of Redskins.com released a video of Doctson beating Quinton Dunbar in coverage and making an impressive catch. Doctson looks like he is fully healthy, and his size and speed should be major weapons for the team.
Expectations for Josh Doctson
There are a lot of factors that will influence what Doctson is capable of achieving in 2017. The first, of course, is his health. The Redskins have to make sure that they protect him if he gets injured in the offseason. They cannot afford to rush him back again. Right now, he is in good shape, so that is a good sign for the team.
The other major factor is questions about who will be Cousins’ favorite receiver. Early reports indicate that Crowder is the favorite to receive the most targets, but he will still operate out of the slot. Doctson will compete with Pryor to be the primary outside receiver. While Doctson may have more upside, Pryor is coming off a 1,000 yard season with the Cleveland Browns and is in a contract year. If he outperforms Doctson, it wouldn’t be a surprise.
At the end of the day, the safest projection for Doctson is as the No. 3 receiver on the offense. He likely will be able to help replace some of the production left behind by DeSean Jackson and Pierre Garcon, but he may not hit his stride until the midway point of the season. After all, he is still for the most part a rookie.
Next: Who will be Redskins top deep threat in 2017?
At the same time, Doctson could post a 1,000-plus yard season. It all depends on how the receiver rotation shakes out. I happen to be bullish on the potential of Doctson and given that the Washington offense had multiple 1,000 yard receivers last season, I think that he will crack four digits in 2017 and should be a touchdown threat as well.