Washington Redskins Training Camp Profile: WR Terry McLaurin

Terry McLaurin’s main competition at Redskins training camp

The Redskins have a fairly versatile receiving core, with several players who can fill multiple roles on a given notice. They’d be smart to move players around on a situational basis, and although Trey Quinn seems to be entrenched in the slot role as of now, he can be moved as well, and the boundary spots are wide open for receivers to earn meaningful snaps.

For McLaurin, the path to a premier role in the receiving core might not be a treacherous one. He already has the route running prowess to be effective wherever he goes. And competitor Josh Doctson is not guaranteed a large role in the offense in 2019; he’s said the writing is on the wall for his future in D.C., and the Redskins might not have the motivation to give him snaps while rookies wait for their own development.

Doctson is one of McLaurin’s main competitors, but there are also others who could factor into the starting equation on the outside, such as Kelvin Harmon, Paul Richardson, and Cam Sims. Harmon and Sims are different types of receivers from McLaurin, so using them in unison with McLaurin might be better than pitting them against each other. Richardson, however, is a fairly similar player to McLaurin; he uses his speed and twitch to win one-on-one matchups, and he has the size to win some contested battles, although injuries have often been a concern for him.

The best way for McLaurin to function in training camp isn’t to single out specific targets in the receiving battle. Instead, he should simply focus on putting his best product on the field, and showing chemistry with starting quarterback Dwayne Haskins. That way, McLaurin can ensure a role for himself, and on game day, based on the coming matchup, and the defense’s strengths and weaknesses, Jay Gruden and Kevin O’Connell can decide how they want to proceed.