Redskins Training Camp Profile: WR Josh Doctson
Doctson’s main competition
Doctson’s direct on-field competition will come from the plethora of pass-catching options that will start the season on the field. Notably, among receivers, Jamison Crowder and Paul Richardson will look to establish themselves as Alex Smith‘s favorite target. So, Doctson will have to stave off a battle to earn targets.
I see Doctson losing out to the other two guys in the pecking order, and he will likely be the No. 3 option among receivers. That said, he will still play outside and there’s a good chance that he could become a red zone threat if given the opportunity. And even if he’s the No. 3 receiver, he’ll still be starting. It just means that Crowder and Richardson will get more targets than him.
Elsewhere on the roster, Doctson will face stiff competition from a group of young players if he can’t prove himself. Mr. Irrelevant, Trey Quinn, will be looking to earn a role bigger than the No. 4 receiver. Quinn will likely be targeting Doctson or Crowder as a potential weak link in the receiving corps. While it’s likely that Quinn will be a backup to start his career, he shouldn’t be counted out as a potential surprise to earn a bigger role.
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Behind Quinn, guys like Robert Davis, Cam Sims, and Simmie Cobbs will try to push Doctson a bit as they look to earn a spot on the roster. It seems unlikely that any will break into the starting lineup, though Davis could be a surprise and potential outside starter down the line. Still, for now, these guys are promising depth that could make Doctson a roster casualty next offseason.
In terms of non-receivers that could take targets from Doctson, Jordan Reed, Vernon Davis, and Chris Thompson are the prime candidates to do that. That said, it was always likely that these players would get targets anyway, so Doctson can’t blame them if he doesn’t get as many targets.
In reality, Doctson has a lot of competition for 2019. This year the Redskins will probably give him a chance to start for a second straight year. If he falls behind Richardson and Crowder and struggles to show growth, then 2019 will become a very critical offseason for the TCU product.