Redskins WR Terry McLaurin winning with detail beyond his years

When the inevitable coaching change comes, it will be the Redskins young talent that candidates find most compelling. It’ll be players like Terry McLaurin.

We like to keep it real with you guys on here, so we won’t lead you on to believe that the Washington Redskins have a legitimate shot to make the playoffs after their 0-3 start. Yes, just like there’s a chance that a gamma ray burst could one day occur a few hundred light years away and destroy the Earth’s ozone layer, there’s a chance that Washington can mount a midseason resurgence.

But if we’re being realistic, it would be better to focus on the little victories and move on.

Believe it or not, for all the negative developments coming out of Ashburn in recent days, there have been some little victories to celebrate in 2019. Perhaps the largest little victory is the emergence of Terry McLaurin, the third-round rookie who’s putting up numbers on par with the best receivers in the league.

Through three games in 2019, McLaurin has 16 receptions for 257 yards and three touchdowns, with one touchdown in each of his first three games. He’s on pace for around 85 catches, 1,370 yards, and 16 touchdowns. We know his pace in the touchdown department will most likely decline, as that’s a more volatile stat, but McLaurin has a legitimate shot to far exceed 1,000 yards in his rookie campaign. In no way has he looked like a rookie so far.

The reason for McLaurin’s success? The universally detail-oriented play of an anti-rookie. McLaurin already possessed 4.35 speed and elite quickness coming into the NFL, but in a premier role, his polish has been magnified under the spotlight. With his route running, he’s sudden, deceptive, and deliberate, and he has the strength and focus to make the physical, contested catches when he needs to.

Over the past two weeks, against two of the league’s better cornerbacks in Byron Jones and Kyle Fuller, McLaurin has logged 11 catches for 132 yards and two touchdowns. He’s been a constant factor on offense, and while those stats don’t mean anything yet, in regards to wins, they’re emblematic of a young player who’s doing his part, and dominating his individual role. Everyone agrees; McLaurin is the real deal. For real.

In the modern NFL, separation is the name of the game, and McLaurin is separating on and off the field. On the field, he has the quickness to pry himself away from defensive backs and make himself available with ruthless reliability. And off the field, he’s separating from the pack. He’s the Redskins No. 1 receiver, and his ascent is only beginning.