Meet Washington Day Three Draft Picks: Rounds 4-7

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April 26, 2025

by David Earl

Round 4, Pick 128th overall, WR Jaylin Lane (5-foot-10, 196lbs)

Jaylin Lane finished his High School senior season with 76 receptions, 1,592 yards, and 30 touchdowns for Clover High School in South Carolina. He finished with a total of 119 receptions, 2,197 yards, and 36 touchdowns during a 2 year career in High School. He then had a five-year career at the college level, splitting time between Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) and Virginia Tech. In three years at MTSU, he amassed a total of 124 receptions, 1,528 yards, averaging 12.3 yards per reception. He had a total of 1,626 scrimmage yards and 11 total touchdowns. Lane totaled 79 receptions and 1,004 yards at Virginia Tech for an average of 12.7 per reception. He totaled 1,171 scrimmage yards and 10 total touchdowns.

At the NFL Combine, Lane ran a 4.34-second forty-time, 1.5-second ten-yard split, and 4.12-second twenty-yard shuttle times. He measured a 40″ vertical jump and 11′ broad jump, and had a 14-rep bench press. He is an explosive straight-line runner and is excellent at running after the catch. He works well in space, and his versatility allows him to play inside and outside. He is also a threat in the run game. Carries a smaller frame and will struggle to maintain separation at times. Lane will need to develop his route tree and lacks proper technique as a blocker.

Lane potentially fills a hole left behind with the loss of Olamide Zaccheaus and Dyami Brown. His speed and versatility look to be an interesting asset in Kliff Kingsbury’s offense. Lane has returned 39 kicks for 485 yards and 67 punts for 733 yards and two touchdowns, so he will also add a more dynamic punch to the return game. As Adam Peters expressed to Lane, he was their top punt returner on their board.

Round 6, Pick 205th overall, LB Kain Medrano (6-foot-3, 222lbs)

UCLA’s Kain Medrano was a Third Team All-Big Ten selectee who finished his collegiate career with a total of 195 tackles, 22 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, and 3 interceptions. At the East-West Shrine Bowl, his speed stood out in coverage drills, proving he has the potential to be a good coverage linebacker. He ran a 4.46-second forty-time and a 1.57-second ten-yard split at the Combine. He measured a 38″ vertical jump and a 10’5″ broad jump.

He is undersized level as an NFL linebacker and may fill a better role as a hybrid-style strong safety. His ability to play very well in space should allow him to match up well against tight ends and running backs in coverage. He plays with good decisiveness against the run and is a strong downhill player, but is inconsistent playing through tackles. His overall play recognition is average, and he will get swallowed up far too much in blocks. Medrano tends to take poor angles in run pursuit at times, which can put him in a bad position for the tackle at times. He is a good developmental linebacker who could eventually be of value in a nickel package option, with his special teams upside being where he ultimately has to earn a roster spot. He needs to bulk up and improve his tackling technique. His elite sideline-to-sideline speed makes him a potential long-term piece for this defense going forward.

Round 7, Pick 245th overall, RB Jacory Croskey-Merritt (5-foot-10, 206lbs)

Jacory Croskey-Merritt is an interesting prospect, to say the least. He was a zero-star recruit who played for Lanier High in Montgomery, Alabama. He played 3 seasons for the Alabama State Hornets, finishing with 1,053 yards, an average of 3.7 yards per attempt, and 27 receptions for 259 yards and 12 touchdowns total. Receiving a 3-Star rating, he transferred to the New Mexico Lobos in the 2023 season. There, he had 1,190 yards rushing, averaging 6.3 yards per carry and hauling in 72 yards from 7 receptions. He amassed 1,262 total yards from scrimmage and 18 touchdowns. After entering the transfer portal and landing with the Arizona Wildcats, Croskey-Merritt managed 13 carries for 106 yards and a touchdown in the opening game of the 2024 season. It would be the only game he played because he was deemed ineligible for the remainder of the 2024 season as a result of confusion regarding whether he red-shirted the 2018 season.

Croskey-Merritt does not have any measurables from the combine. His scouting report reads as a physical downhill runner with excellent one-cut vision. He is a patient runner who follows lead blocks very well and quickly processes the defense on the move. He has a natural feel as a runner with vision to redirect quickly and does a great job in manipulating the defenders. While used in a limited role in the passing game throughout his college career, Croskey-Merritt attacks the ball in the air very well, but has a limited route tree. He does run a bit upright at times and will dance a bit too much in the backfield, limiting his explosive plays. While there is some upside as a potential starter in a running back by committee system, his lack of experience in the passing game will certainly limit his time on the field early in his career.

Washington’s running back room currently lacks any true explosive game-changing threat. Brian Robinson Jr. has been a serviceable runner who can grind out the tough yards, but is limited in the passing game and does not have the top-end speed to break away from the second-level defenders. Austin Ekeler has been valuable in the passing game, but at 30 years old, he is just not an every-down runner. Beyond them, Washington has an intriguing option in Chris Rodriguez Jr. and veteran Jeremy McNicols, so there is nothing for defensive coordinators to fear entering the 2025 season. If Croskey-Merritt can improve in the passing game and limit his wasted movement in the backfield, it’s not far-fetched to think that he could challenge for a roster spot. It wasn’t too long ago that a 2022 7th-round running back for the Kansas City Chiefs became an impactful play in year one in Isaiah Pacheco, and Croskey-Merritt has the opportunity in this running back room for Washington.

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