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Redskins: How Josh Doctson can improve before the 2018 season

By Jacob Camenker

LANDOVER, MD - DECEMBER 24: Wide receiver Josh Doctson #18 of the Washington Redskins scores a touchdown against the Denver Broncos in the fourth quarter at FedExField on December 24, 2017 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)
LANDOVER, MD - DECEMBER 24: Wide receiver Josh Doctson #18 of the Washington Redskins scores a touchdown against the Denver Broncos in the fourth quarter at FedExField on December 24, 2017 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) /
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NEW ORLEANS, LA – NOVEMBER 19: Jeremy Sprinkle #87 of the Washington Redskins celebrates with Josh Doctson #18 of the Washington Redskins after scoring a touchdown during the second half against the New Orleans Saints at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on November 19, 2017 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
NEW ORLEANS, LA – NOVEMBER 19: Jeremy Sprinkle #87 of the Washington Redskins celebrates with Josh Doctson #18 of the Washington Redskins after scoring a touchdown during the second half against the New Orleans Saints at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on November 19, 2017 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images) /

Become a more consistent red zone threat

Doctson is among the bigger receivers at the NFL level. So, it’s no surprise that the Redskins want to use him as a red zone threat. During the 2017 season, the Redskins looked to Doctson in the red zone quite a bit. In fact, he saw 22 targets, which was good for the team lead. However, his success on those targets was merely middling.

Yes, Doctson did record five touchdowns inside the opponent’s 20 yard line. And that is a solid number, considering that he was virtually a rookie this year. At the same time, his efficiency was pretty low. Doctson caught only 7-of-22 targets, and he definitely had a couple of catchable touchdowns slip through his hands. Much like his poor catch percentage in the regular season, this is an area that needs to be improved.

What Doctson has to work on in this area is fighting through contact. Too often, it seems that he shied away from hits and that caused him to drop the ball. As he gets more used to the NFL, he won’t be as afraid to withstand the hits and hang onto the ball. It just takes time to adjust. Additionally, it will help Doctson’s cause if he can try to high-point the ball more frequently. He has the size necessary to be a jump ball red zone threat, and if the Redskins add some plays to get him the ball, it could pay dividends for them.

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Of course, to do this and to ensure he can fight through contact, Doctson will have to add some muscle. He has a 6-foot-2 frame, but he currently stands at 202 pounds. He could easily add a few pounds of muscle to his frame, so look for him to work on that in the offseason to improve his overall ability.

If Doctson can improve his ability to fight through contact, that will give him a chance to improve on his red zone numbers. If he can catch a couple of more touchdowns in 2018, that would be a major win for the Redskins, who lack other quality red zone targets due to a lack of size among their other receivers.

Overall, Doctson still has a lot of upside. Improving marginally in these areas will allow him to play better during the 2018 season and it could help him to make the leap in his third year. Doctson could end up being a quality starter yet. He just needs to build on what was a decent 2017 performance.

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