3 surprise standout performers from Commanders OTAs

2. Alex Erickson

The Commanders signing Erickson flew under the radar, but it happened and the veteran receiver/return specialist stood out on Wednesday. Per Ben Standig of The Athletic, Erickson “shined” a pass-catcher during team drills, making several grabs while working with the second- and third-team offense.

This might not seem like a big deal, but Erickson and Dax Milne are the primary candidates to fulfill a reserve WR role and return specialist. We haven’t heard much from Milne at OTAs in the early goings. That’s subject to change, obviously, but Erickson likely has a leg up on the second-year receiver right now.

If everything goes according to plan, Erickson could assume an Adam Humphries-like role for Washington in 2022, with perhaps less of a role in the passing game, as Humphries caught 41 passes in 2021 and Erickson’s career-high for a season is 43.

With that said, Erickson brings vast experience as a return man, averaging 26.3 punt returns over his six seasons with an 8.1 return average. He’s only managed nine kick returns across the last three seasons, but totaled 101 over his first three seasons and led the NFL in yardage as a rookie with 810 yards.

If Erickson keeps this up throughout the summer he’ll put a stranglehold on one of the final receiver spots and be a lock to return punts/kicks.