4 late-round wide receiver prospects Commanders could draft in 2024

Commanders could draft Jha’Quan Jackson

Jha’Quan Jackson is becoming a bit of a divisive player amongst scouts. After his blazing combine, a lot of casual fans began taking a closer look. But apart from his blistering 40-yard dash time, his numbers were nothing special.

Jackson's burst numbers in the vertical and broad jump were surprisingly mundane. If you simply look at his college statistics, there is a disturbing lack of productivity.

So is this a case of a player who simply dazzles with straight-line speed and has nothing else to offer? I don’t think so.

Granted, at 5-foot-9 and 190 pounds, Jackson is not going to win a lot of battles on contested deep balls or be that tall red-zone guy you might want. But he is a weapon, pure and simple.

He can line up outside, but Jackson will do most of his damage from the slot. He can run sweeps. He is very good on screen passes. Get him in the open field and he is always a threat to score. The prospect can also be a dynamic kick returner.

The wideout was consistent over the last four seasons at Tulane, averaging more than 15 yards per catch. But he simply didn’t bring in that many balls. If quarterback Michael Pratt wasn’t looking deep, he was often the third or even fourth read on many plays. Freshman sensation Chris Brazzell - now a Tennessee Volunteer - was the clear top receiver in the Green Wave attack. I believe this had as much to do with scheme and usage as any deficiencies in Jackson’s game.

Jackson is not going to be the first option anywhere he goes. Probably not a second option either. In theory, the Washington Commanders already have those two spots locked down. They also recently re-signed Kazmeir Allen - a player who has some of the same attributes.

Taking Jackson in one of the last rounds this year and then using him as a jack-of-all-trades weapon could provide a high-ceiling playmaker at a relatively low cost for the Commanders under offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury.