Jahan Dotson was a three-star recruit exiting high school ranked as the 36th receiver in the nation and the sixth-best recruit in Pennsylvania. He’s a former track standout at Nazareth High School, winning the state championship in the 4 x 100 relay and long jump (2016). He also took home the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference title in the 100 meters, 200 meters, and the 4 x 100 relay in his senior year.

Dotson has a solid but not elite prospect profile. The pros are his 90th percentile college dominator (44.3%, per PlayerProfiler.com), 95th percentile college target share (32.5%), and ranking 27th in Yards per route run (per PFF, minimum 50 targets) in 2020. The cons begin with Dotson not being early to declare and continue with his breakout age (20.5, 50th percentile) and disappointing combine metrics. While he logged a 40 time (4.43) in the 85th percentile, he left with a 57th percentile vertical jump (36 inches), 52nd percentile broad jump (121 inches), and 9th percentile three-cone (7.28). Still, Dotson is a skilled player who is garnering fringe first-round or early second-round buzz. His game has some concerning areas, but he’s a player who can be a productive pro and pay off on this sort of draft capital.

Jahan Dotson Draft Profile

* Recruit stars via 247Sports

2022 NFL Draft Prediction: Late first or early second round

Jahan Dotson College Statistics

Jahan Dotson Dynasty Fantasy Analysis

Dotson wins with speed and footwork. While he does have good hand technique, swiping and clubbing when corners attempt to get their hands on him, physicality isn’t his redeeming trait. He shows more in that area in his run blocking than in his routes or after the catch. Dotson leaves Penn State with only 21 missed tackles forced (per PFF) in his four-year career despite ranking 17th (7.2) and 39th (7.3) in yards after the catch per reception in 2019 and 2020, among FBS wide receivers with a minimum of 50 targets.

*Only 22 targets (2018)
**Only 45 targets (2019)

Dotson’s speed is build-up speed, as evidenced by his 57th percentile 10-yard split (1.55). He excels with his jets on posts and slants, with loose hips that allow him to change direction effortlessly without losing any RPMs. He adds nuance to his routes with pace variations, jab steps, and head fakes.

Considering his vanilla scores in the vertical and broad jumps and his 23rd percentile arm length, he’s got a decent catch radius. He plucks passes out of the air and can high-point well, which he needs often. These solid mitts had to contend with frequent errant passes from Sean Clifford. Shotgun-style inaccuracy from his quarterback litters Dotson’s tape. Among quarterbacks with 200 or more dropbacks, Clifford has never finished higher than 41st in adjusted completion percentage dating back to 2019. This was a significant problem for a receiver who relies on precision, as Dotson would dust corners on routes only to be airmailed.

For a receiver who will need to rely on his speed and prowess as a technician, there are still some areas where Dotson must improve to hit his upper range of outcomes. While his footwork on releases is precise with lightning-fast crossovers, he has problems gearing down on comebacks and out of his breaks. He needs to clean this up, especially for a receiver of his size. He’ll stumble at times at the top of his stem.

The footwork will be pivotal because he has physicality issues during his routes, and defensive backs can occasionally push him off his route or to the boundary. At times, Penn State lined him up in stacked formations to ensure a free release where he was tasked with the under route while another receiver ran deep. To ease his transition to the NFL, his next squad should consider moving Dotson into the slot on 40%-50% of his snaps as he evolves his game.

Dotson doesn’t profile as a true alpha, but that doesn’t mean he can’t become a high-end WR2 in the NFL. The wretched quarterback play he dealt with in college shows up in his 63.5% catch rate (per PFF), and it should have been much higher with his skill in securing the ball. His hands improved in every season since 2019, as he decreased his drop rate each year, finishing with 2.2% in 2021.

Player Comp

Diontae Johnson (WR – PIT) (ceiling) / Eddie Royal (floor)

Diontae Johnson has parlayed his abilities as a route runner into the seat at the top of a passing attack. Dotson can access this 5%-10% type of outcome ceiling if he continues to hone his game. Royal is a good median outlook. Royal posted nearly 980 receiving yards in his rookie season but never took the next step in his development and finished with only one year of over 700 yards in the remaining eight years of his career.

Landing Spot and Dynasty Outlook

Jahan Dotson landing in Washington is a better NFL move than it is for our purposes in fantasy football. Carson Wentz is a barbed wire turnover-prone mess with questionable ability at this stage of his career of supporting multiple receiving options in fantasy. Dotson will compete with Logan Thomas and J.D. McKissic for targets behind Terry McLaurin. His dynasty outlook is rosier than his redraft prospects. McLaurin is an unrestricted free agent in 2023, so Dotson could assume the top spot in the wide receiver room as soon as next season. Then we pray that Wentz is at least a league-average starter, or the team can find a suitable upgrade.

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