3 best rookie performers at Commanders’ training camp

1. WR Jahan Dotson

Somehow, someway the Commanders pulled it off. They drafted a Terry McLaurin clone. Seriously. Maybe that is slight hyperbole given Dotson hasn’t taken a snap in-game for the Commanders yet, but it certainly feels like that.

The first-round pick has performed so well that this almost feels like a cheap spot at number one. A given.

But seriously though, Dotson’s emergence in the offseason program is strikingly similar to how Terry McLaurin emerged in 2019. McLaurin was a fifth-year senior who was expected to be a special teams ace, as well as an occasional deep threat.

Dotson, a senior as well, was commonly viewed as a tier below other wideouts in the first round. After the Commanders traded down to 16, subsequently losing out on Chris Olave and Jameson Williams after Drake London and Garrett Wilson were picked before pick 11, some fans viewed Dotson as a consolation prize.

A high-floor player, that lacked the ceiling to be elite. Some have said, due to his size, he would be best as a slot-only receiver. So for a first-round pick, it left some fans underwhelmed.

However, since being drafted Dotson has done nothing but perform at a high level and say all the right things. He and McLaurin have a knack for saying exactly what needs to be said at the podium. No fluff. All business and all about the team.

The coaching staff also completely gushes about Dotson in the same way Jay Gruden profusely praised McLaurin then kept him inactive for preseason games to keep him healthy for Week 1.

McLaurin has since grown into one of the game’s elite wide receivers. He ranks in the top five at beating man coverage, according to reception perception, while having over 1,000 yards in back-to-back seasons on his way to a three-year, $71M contract extension. He has outperformed that “special teams ace” label in droves.

This very well could be plastered on Freezing Cold Takes someday, but Dotson could be on a similar success track as the team’s 2019 third-round pick.

Like Cole Turner, Dotson has quickly grown a noticeable connection with Carson Wentz. Every day at practice, there are reports of Wentz and Dotson connecting on passes in nearly every session. The team has posted multiple highlights depicting how Dotson is winning.

What is exciting about Dotson, is the multitude of ways he wins. There are some instances where he wins with separation after winning on his route. There are some instances where he gains a half-step on a nine route, and his advanced ability to track the ball in flight, has the ball plop into his sticky hands in traffic. He also has the ability to go “above the rim” and win in contested catches.

Dotson still needs to prove it in games but so far in training camp he has shown a multitude of ways he can win in the NFL. He has done this while corner Kendall Fuller has starred in training camp, and William Jackson III seems to be more comfortable in Jack Del Rio’s system.

Against very formidable competition, Dotson has fit right in. On The Athletic Football Show, Nate Tice aptly describes Dotson as “a football player.” In other words, someone who instantly you can tell has an advanced understanding of the game. A player who was built to play football.

Logan Paulsen, a former tight end for the team who now covers the Commanders, says Dotson has been the best WR at training camp on the Al Galdi Podcast. It is meant as no slight to McLaurin either.

Dotson has simply been that impressive in camp. The Commanders could very well have a dynamic wide receiver duo on their hands. In terms of personality, Dotson is a clone of Terry McLaurin. And his skill set is conducive to being successful in the league.

At the bare minimum, Dotson will be a very solid pro for a decade in the NFL. He has shown he can be much more than a high-floor, slot-only prospect, that he was tabbed to be in the pre-draft process.

Honorable mentions: 

CB Christian Holmes – Listed as a second-team corner on the unofficial depth chart, Holmes has rotated with the ones when William Jackson missed some practices. Holmes is an older rookie and could fill in as depth at corner for the Commanders.

RB Brian Robinson – Looking like the physical bowling ball runner the Commanders drafted him to be, Robinson seems ready to contribute right away for the Commanders in his rookie campaign.