Philadelphia Eagles: Jahan Dotson needs more appreciation

If the Philadelphia Eagles want to maximize their ability to pick up marquee-level talent in the 2022 NFL Draft, there’s a solid case to be made to trade back in the first round to somewhere in the mid-20s.

Sounds counterproductive, right? Maybe in another draft class but in 2022, the players available at 18 may not prove to be all that much better than ones selected at 22, 28, 32, or even 38. That, in my humble opinion, is the sweet spot of this year’s class, as fringe first-round talents like Daxton Hill, Skyy Moore, Breece Hall, and George Pickens could all prove to have better professional careers than players selected as many as ten picks higher.

Assuming nothing changes too drastically over the next week, that is the range most expect Jahan Dotson to be selected in during the 2022 NFL Draft, and like the players mentioned above, the Penn State product could ultimately prove to be one of the best wide receivers in this year’s class, as he has all of the tools to be an effective player for a team looking for a polished product at wide receiver.

Could the Philadelphia Eagles prove to be the team that pulls the trigger on Jahan Dotson? At 18, probably not, but if the team opts to trade down with a quarterback-needy team like, say, the Detroit Lions, the Penn State product could punch well above his spot in the draft pecking order and make a run at “best wide receiver in this year’s class” status.

Don’t overlook Jahan Dotson as a trade-down target for the Philadelphia Eagles.

Jahan Dotson is a weird player to evaluate.

He’s a 5-foot-11, 178-pound outside wide receiver who has put up solid numbers at the broad jump (121 inches), vertical jump (36 inches), the 10-yard split (1.55 seconds), and the 40-yard dash (4.43 seconds) but recorded very underwhelming measurables at the 3-cone drill (7.28 seconds), in addition to his height, weight, arm length, and wingspan, which all rank in the 22nd or worse percentile according to Mockdraftable.

Still, when Dotson actually takes the field, it’s very easy to imagine his game translated to the pros, as he’s an electrifying playmaker who can put in work all over the field.

While Dotson played 83.1 percent of his snaps on the outside, his game is very easily translated in into the slot, as he almost turns into a punt returner when the ball arrives in his hands. He averaged 5.3 yards after the catch per play in 2021, hauled in 26 screen passes for 132 yards, and did so while only dropping two of the 138 passes thrown his way, according to PFF.

On the outside, Dotson has enough speed to challenge defenders over the top and enough burst to get himself open as a route runner versus both man and zone coverage. He has some incredible catches on his resume, including a pair of particularly nasty ones against Ohio State in 2020 that need to be seen to be believed, and those sort of momentum-altering plays should make the Nazareth, Pennsylvania native very popular player in the NFL.

So how, you may ask, would Dotson fit into the Philadelphia Eagles’ offense? Well, I’m glad you asked. In my humble opinion, the Eagles would use Dotson a lot like they would use Chris Olave or Skyy Moore as a hybrid flanker/slot receiver who runs good routes, excels in the screen game, and makes Jalen Hurts‘ life a whole lot easier. He could be used like Quez Watkins down the field as an interior vertical threat, like DeVonta Smith as a tricky route runner, or even as a more traditional slot receiver capable of attacking the short-to-intermediate area of the field when down-the-field options are well covered.

The big-bodied X receiver Philly fans crave Dotson is not, but hey, what’s better than a 50-50 ball threat who can be a premier red-zone threat? A receiver who knows how to get open against a variety of different coverages and could easily have a few 100 catch seasons before his career is done.

If Dotson can prove to be a more athletic Hunter Renfrow, I don’t think anyone would mind one bit.

There’s no doubt about it; folks are going to look back in six-ish months and wonder, “how did Jahan Dotson slip all the way to 32?” His game is about as plug-‘n-play as any player at any position in this year’s draft, and that, when coupled with his solid speed, competitive nature, and “my ball” mentality, will make the Penn State product an instant fan favorite in whichever city he lands in. Could that city ultimately be one known for its Brotherly Love? Probably not at 18, but if the Philadelphia Eagles opt to trade back into the 20s, the Nazareth native would look darn good in midnight green playing just a few hours from his childhood home.