Comparing Terry McLaurin’s contract to other stars from 2019 draft

The Washington Commanders are still working to better themselves off the field — that might not happen until Dan Snyder is removed from office — but they took a colossal step forward as far as ensuring long-term success on the field when they signed offensive cornerstone Terry McLaurin to a three-year extension.

Fans waited patiently for the McLaurin domino to fall. In many ways, though, they were waiting for another standout from the 2019 draft to sign.

While Davante Adams, Cooper Kupp, Tyreek Hill and several other upper-echelon receivers all inked new contracts this offseason, it was long expected that the deals for the 2019 group — including AJ Brown, Deebo Samuel, DK Metcalf and Diontae Johnson, albeit to a lesser extent — would mirror one another.

With every NFL team entering their third week of training camp, all five receivers are now under contract for the next few years so let’s compare and contrast the deals and see how McLaurin’s extension stacks up against the rest.

Comparing Terry McLaurin’s contract to other WRs from 2019 draft

At face value, the Commanders got a steal with McLaurin’s deal.

• AJ Brown – 4 years, $100 million
• DK Metcalf – 3 years, $72 million
• Deebo Samuel – 3 years, $71.5 million
• Terry McLaurin – 3 years, $71 million
• Diontae Johnson – 2 years, $36.7 million
• Hunter Renfrow – 2 years, $32 million

In terms of annual average value, Brown sits atop the group at $25 million, followed by Metcalf at $24 million, Samuel at $23.9 million and McLaurin at $22.8 million. Another indication Washington got a bargain with the contract.

When it comes to total guaranteed money, the order is as follows: Metcalf ($52.8 million), Samuel ($58.16 million), Brown ($56.47 million) and McLaurin ($53.15 million). See the pattern? Despite arguably being more talented than these studs, McLaurin ranks behind them in the major numerical categories.

Despite working with significantly less consistency at quarterback, McLaurin’s stats are right up there with his fellow 2019 draftees.

• McLaurin: 222 catches 3,090 yards, 16 touchdowns
• Brown: 185 catches, 2,995 yards, 24 touchdowns
• Metcalf: 216 catches, 3,170 yards, 29 touchdowns
• Samuel: 167 catches, 2,598 yards and 10 touchdowns

Worth noting Samuel also has 550 rushing yards and 11 scores on his resume. He’s without question the most versatile weapon of this group. But in terms of production as a pass-catcher, McLaurin’s output is undeniable.

For added context, Metcalf has caught passes from Russell Wilson, a future Hall of Famer, Brown had Ryan Tannehill as his quarterback (now Jalen Hurts), and Samuel has had the luxury of Jimmy Garoppolo, a serial winner, as his quarterback. All three QBs are markedly better than what McLaurin’s worked with over the years.

While all four contracts are nearly identical, it speaks volumes that McLaurin’s is worth less when his production across the board suggests it should be worth more. Again, massive credit to everyone involved in the process.