Washington drafts receiver Jahan Dotson in round 1

April 28, 2022

by Steve Thomas

After a trade with the New Orleans Saints in which Washington moved from 11 to 16, netting picks in rounds 3 and 4, the Redskins Washington selected Penn St. wide receiver Jahan Dotson with the 16th pick in round 1 of the 2022 NFL draft.

Dotson, who stands 5’11” and weighs 178 pounds, spent 4 years at Penn St., playing in a total of 42 games, with 183 receptions for 2757 yards, 15.1 yards per catch, and 25 touchdowns.  In 2021, Dotson played in 12 games, and made 91 receptions for 1182 yards, 13.0 yards per catch, and 12 touchdowns.  At the NFL Combine, he ran the 40 yard dash in 4.43 seconds, jumped 36 inches in the vertical leap and 10’1” inches in the standing broad jump, and ran the 3 cone drill in 7.28 seconds.

Dotson is known to have outstanding hands and good speed and burst.  He’s also a high-quality route runner.  Dotson is viewed as a receiver who is more comfortable outside the hashes than he is in the middle of the field.  His 5’11” height is a bit small, even for a receiver, but scouts view him as being versatile enough to be able to play a variety of roles in the receiver group.  Most scouts had Dotson rated as a later first round pick or, at worst, a high second round pick.

Dotson should fit in as an immediate starter opposing Washington’s star receiver Terry Mclaurin.