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Redskins: 5 dark horse candidates to make the 53-man roster in 2019

By Jacob Camenker

WACO, TX - SEPTEMBER 15: T.J. Rahming #3 of the Duke Blue Devils celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Baylor Bears during the first half of a football game at McLane Stadium on September 15, 2018 in Waco, Texas. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images)
WACO, TX - SEPTEMBER 15: T.J. Rahming #3 of the Duke Blue Devils celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Baylor Bears during the first half of a football game at McLane Stadium on September 15, 2018 in Waco, Texas. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images) /
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WACO, TX – SEPTEMBER 15: T.J. Rahming #3 of the Duke Blue Devils celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Baylor Bears during the first half of a football game at McLane Stadium on September 15, 2018 in Waco, Texas. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images)
WACO, TX – SEPTEMBER 15: T.J. Rahming #3 of the Duke Blue Devils celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Baylor Bears during the first half of a football game at McLane Stadium on September 15, 2018 in Waco, Texas. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images) /

The undersized slot-man is starting to become popular in the NFL. Part of the reason for that? It works. If you have a guy that can make plays and take the top off a defense, having him on the field is a good thing.

T.J. Rahming would qualify as one of those players. Though he measures in at just a bit over 5-foot-8, he is coming off a solid, productive college career at Duke. He was Daniel Jones‘ No. 1 receiver and was one of the few players in that offense that didn’t let the signal caller down.

In his final season at Duke, Rahming caught 75 passes for 811 yards and eight touchdowns. He averaged 10.8 yards per catch, which was the second-lowest total of his career, but part of that was due to the fact that he saw a higher volume of targets in the offense last season. So, that impacted his numbers.

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Importantly, Rahming demonstrates 4.4 speed on tape, and his numbers back that up. He could become a playmaker at the NFL level, and if he was a bit taller, he probably would have been drafted.

The Redskins have a lot of question marks at the wide receiver position, and that could open the door for someone like Rahming to make the roster. Trey Quinn is set to play the slot, but he struggled with injuries as a rookie. If he gets banged up again, Rahming could have a chance to earn the backup role there. Either way, his smaller, speed-based skill set would complement the team’s other bigger, stronger receivers well.

The uncertainty at wide-out will give Rahming a good chance to emerge as this year’s top dark horse. If he can show value on special teams — he did average 6.2 yards per punt return during his career — he may have a chance to make the roster as the team’s fifth or sixth receiving option. Don’t sleep on Rahming just because of his diminutive stature.

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