Commanders draft Jahan Dotson at No. 16 overall after trade with Saints

The stage for the 2022 NFL Draft was set when the Jaguars selected Travon Walker over seemingly slam-dunk pick Aidan Hutchinson. Washington Commanders fans could only hope the team didn’t make that big of a reach 10 picks later.

As it turns out, they didn’t make that pick. After Drake London, the No. 1 wide receiver on their draft board, according to reports, the Commanders had their choice of Kyle Hamilton, Jameson Williams or Chris Olave … or trade back.

When push came to shove, they chose the latter, moving back to No. 16 overall in a trade with the Saints, who had been rumored to want to move up.

In addition to the No. 16 pick, Washington acquired a third-rounder, which they previously unloaded in the Carson Wentz trade, and a fourth-rounder. The team now owns seven selections over the draft’s final two days.

The Commanders drafted Jahan Dotson with the No. 16 overall pick after they traded back with the Saints.

With their new pick, the Commanders drafted Penn State receiver Jahan Dotson, who’s said to have the best hands of any WR in this year’s class.

Like Terry McLaurin, Dotson plays a lot bigger than his size and excels in three key areas: creating separation on underneath routes, body control to adjust to wonky throws (might come in handy with Carson Wentz under center) and contested-catch situations.

When it comes to high-pointing the football, Dotson doesn’t let his size deter him from going up and over bigger defensive backs.

Dotson capped a fantastic career at Penn State by being named a third-team Associated Press All-American and second-team All-Big Ten at receiver. He led the Nittany Lions with 91 receptions and 1,181 receiving yards and finished eighth in the nation with 12 touchdowns.

While Dotson brings stability to the WR position for Washington, he also poses a threat as a return specialist. In 2021, he earned third-team all-league notice as a punt returner by averaging an impressive 7.4 yards over 14 returns.

The Commanders’ return unit took a hit following the departure of DeAndre Carter, who signed with the Chargers in free agency. The arrival of Dotson gives Washington needed insurance behind Jaret Patterson and Curtis Samuel.

More importantly, he represents another capable receiver for Carson Wentz. With McLaurin, Dotson, Samuel, Cam Sims, Logan Thomas and John Bates — with the potential for more growth in the draft and free agency — Washington’s once bottom-barrel receiving corps looks much more respectable.

In a week filled with pre-draft curveball rumors, it was only fitting the Commanders went off the beaten path and traded back to take a receiver who had hardly been linked to them throughout the pre-draft process.

Nicely done, Ron Rivera, and welcome to Washington, Jahan Dotson!