4 Commanders in danger of losing their jobs following NFL Draft
By Jerry Trotta
The Washington Commanders have addressed nearly every position of need this offseason, with linebacker being the only exception.
During the NFL Draft, they filled holes at wide receiver defensive tackle, running back, special teams, quarterback, tight end, cornerback and offensive guard. It’s clear Ron Rivera and the front office think this roster is playoff-caliber, so they opted to reach for players they feel could help them win right away.
Most teams emphasize value or drafting the best player available so the Commanders are taking a calculated risk by trusting their judgement.
At the very least, Washington’s draft class (or most of it, anyway) should be contributing pretty regularly as rookies. We’re not expecting anyone not named Jahan Dotson to start right away, but some of them could force Rivera and the coaching staff into some tough decisions if they show out.
With that in mind, let’s highlight four Commanders who could find themselves relegated to the bench if they aren’t careful.
4 Commanders who could lose their jobs following the draft
4. Dax Milne
Isn’t it possible Milne outright loses his spot in the receivers rotation and the return game? With Jahan Dotson taking over No. 2 duties, or No. 3 if he’s deployed in the slot, that pushes Milne further down the pecking order behind Terry McLaurin, Curtis Samuel, Dotson, Cam Sims and Dyami Brown.
You also have to consider recent signing Alex Erickson‘s experience as a receiver. Though primarily utilized as a return specialist in his career, Erickson has managed 96 catches for 1,141 yards and a touchdown in his pass-catching career.
Given their eerily similar profiles as WRs, Erickson and Milne could compete for a rotation spot during the offseason.
In the return game, though, Erickson has the clear edge over Milne given he’s returned nearly 300 kicks and punts in his career and once led the league in total kickoff return yards and yards averaged per punt return.
And don’t sleep on Dotson in regard to supplanting Milne in the return game. Though inexperienced as a kick returner, the former Penn State star averaged 17.16 yards per punt return over his final three years in Happy Valley.