Washington star Terry McLaurin hasn't gotten the fanfare some of the other great young receivers in the NFL have received during his first two seasons in the league.
McLaurin, Washington’s third-round selection in 2019 out of Ohio State, hasn't received the same recognition as another receiver taken a round earlier in the same draft, Seattle's D.K. Metcalf. Minnesota's Justin Jefferson, the 22nd overall pick in 2020, has outshined McLaurin, too.
But McLaurin has caught the eye of one Pro Football Hall of Famer: Raiders legend Tim Brown.
Brown — the Raiders' all-team leader in receiving yards (14,734), receptions (1,070), and receiving touchdowns (99) — still talks with former Oakland teammate Randy Jordan, Washington's longtime running backs coach, and says McLaurin's name has come up in their recent conversations.
"I got a chance to watch him this year," Brown told the 'Upon Further Review' podcast. "Obviously they had a little bit of an erratic offense, so it made it pretty tough to really get a good read on him, but he seems to be a playmaker, right? I mean, a guy, when he gets the ball in his hands, he can certainly make things happen."
McLaurin has 145 catches for 2,037 yards and 11 touchdowns through 29 career games, despite playing with six different starting quarterbacks (Case Keenum, Dwayne Haskins, Colt McCoy, Alex Smith, Kyle Allen, Taylor Heinicke) since arriving in Washington. But Brown believes recently signed veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick, the presumptive starter for the Football Team in 2021, can bring some stability to Scott Turner's offense and help McLaurin take his game to the next level.
"So now I think he has to get himself in more consistent position to make plays," he said. "And obviously you've got to have a quarterback in place to do that. I think they brought in Fitzy, right? Old man Fitz? Slinging that thing around the NFL — I ain't mad at him! Keep making that money!"
Slowly but surely, the NFL is taking notice of McLaurin as he works to garner the respect his growing resume deserves. Some, like NFL corner Richard Sherman, have pointed out that McLaurin would benefit greatly from Washington adding another receiving threat on offense.
"If he had anybody else beside him and they couldn't just double him and cloud him all the time, he'd be special," Sherman said in February.
Washington did exactly that this offseason, bolstering its depth by signing dual-threat receiver Curtis Samuel and slot receiver Adam Humphries in free agency. Brown believes a player like Samuel will make an immediate impact for the Burgundy and Gold.
"Those kinds of guys who have the ability to run with the ball, I just think they're special," he said. "Especially in today's football, because everything is so spread out. I mean, you catch a ball, hit a hole, man, it could be off to the races. So those kinds of guys can be great for an offense."
Samuel had a major in the running game for the Panthers last season, picking up 200 yards and two touchdowns on 41 carries. Pair that with his 77 catches for 851 yards and three touchdowns — while lined up as Carolina's No. 3 receiver behind D.J. Moore and Robby Anderson — and you start to understand the dynamic threat Samuel represents.
Washington's offense should see a major boost in 2021, and when it does, Brown will be watching.