Jahan Dotson

Who is Jahan Dotson

Jahan Dotson’s career took off after KJ Hamler departed for the NFL. Left alone with only Pat Freiermuth in 2020, Dotson seized a 28.3% target share and broke out. Leading the team in receptions and receiving yards, Dotson also showed he could play against top competition. Against Ohio State, he caught 8 passes for 144 yards and 3 touchdowns. He had at least 100 receiving yards in 5 of the 9 games he played in that season. They say the NFL lets players know when they're ready to be in the league, so we have to assume that’s why Jahan Dotson returned to Penn State for his senior season.

With Freiermuth gone, Jahan Dotson increased his target share to 30%, even though some of those targets came from Sean Clifford. He turned 91 receptions into 1,182 yards and 12 touchdowns. He earned a trip to the senior bowl, but did not play or practice after initially accepting the invite. His lack of presence caused speculation that he was smaller than advertised and was advised not to attend. Regardless of the reason, his production spoke for itself and he had nothing left to prove like Chris Olave, another senior bowl invitee who did not attend.

Jahan Dotson was selected in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft by the Washington Commanders. Dotson arrives in a crowded WR room with Terry McLaurin and Curtis Samuel. As a two year high level producer, he’s got a shot to be the number one in this offense if you buy the narrative that Terry McLaurin has been miscasted as the alpha in this offense. If McLaurin moves to being more of a deep threat and Samuel continues to be a gadget guy, Dotson could be the leader in targets in the short to intermediate portions of the field.