Antonio Gandy-Golden release underscores repeated failures at drafting WRs

The Washington Football Team clinched their fifth-straight losing season and is likely headed for another high draft pick in April.

While we have a good idea of what positions should take precedence in the draft — quarterback and linebacker should be the main focus — it’s worth pondering if they should roll the dice and select another wide receiver.

Terry McLaurin is knocking on the door of superstardom, but he hasn’t gotten much help behind him over his first three years. Sadly, this season’s been no different as Curtis Samuel and Dyami Brown have been huge disappointments.

It also hasn’t helped that Antonio Gandy-Golden, a fourth-round pick less than two years ago, has only played 20 offensive snaps this year.

Well, in light of Gandy-Golden’s lack of involvement, Washington released him as part of a host of roster moves leading up to Week 17.

This move has been a long time coming, but it just underscores the franchise’s inability to properly draft (and scout) WR talent.

The Washington Football Team really struggles at drafting WRs.

It’s not a terrible look given Gandy-Golden was a fourth-round pick, but how low do you want the bar to be set, folks?

The Lions drafted Amon-Ra St. Brown in Round 4 in 2021 and he’s looked like one of the best receivers in the league over the last month, tallying 35 catches for 340 yards and three touchdowns.

Only Cooper Kupp (40) has more catches in that span.

The USC product now has seven games with at least 60 receiving yards as a rookie. For comparison’s sake, Gandy-Golden has more rushing yards (22) than receiving yards (three) in his pro career thus far.

In last year’s draft, Gabriel Davis went in the same round as AGG and he’s quietly emerged as Buffalo’s No. 2 wideout behind Stefon Diggs. In 30 games (13 starts), Davis has over 1,000 yards receiving and 13 TDs.

On top of that, both Hunter Renfrow, who’s sneakily 10th in the league in receptions this year, and Tyreek Hill were fifth-round picks.

It’s really not as difficult as Washington’s made it out to be.

What’s all the more concerning, though, is that the organization has struggled drafting wide  receivers as a whole for a long time. Let’s take a look at some of their most recent high-to-mid-round selections, shall we?

• Dyami Brown (3rd round): 11 catches for 140 yards as a rookie.
• Kelvin Harmon (6th round): 30 catches for 365 yards as a rookie in 2019. Hasn’t played in an NFL game since.
• Robert Davis (6th round): 2 catches for 17 yards in his career.
• Josh Doctson (1st round): Never more than 532 yards in a season and drafted ahead of Kenny Clark, Chris Jones and Xavien Howard.
• Jamison Crowder: (4th round): 221 catches for 2,628 yards and 14 TDs for Washington. The lone exception next to McLaurin.
• Ryan Grant (5th round): 84 catches in four years with Washington
• Leonard Hankerson (3rd round): Never more than 543 yards in a season and was out of the league after just five years.

You see the problem? While Gandy-Golden clearly isn’t the poster child for this ongoing issue, his release sure did a lot in terms of bringing up old memories about the team’s inability to draft wide receivers.

The saddest part of it all is that Washington is likely going to end this season much like they did last: With a bonafide stud in McLaurin as the No. 1 option and nothing but question marks behind him on the depth chart.