Kevin Sheehan: This is make-or-break year for Commanders WR Jahan Dotson
Jayden Daniels and his very public time hanging out with friend and former college teammate Brandon Aiyuk has been getting a great deal of attention lately. So has the expectations and hype that is growing around the No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft after the Washington Commanders completed the first part of their preparation for the first season under new head coach Dan Quinn.
But now there is time to look at other players around the roster begin to look at the rest of the roster and how important the upcoming season is for them.
With that in mind, Chris Trapasso, writing for CBS Sports, listed Commanders wide receiver Jahan Dotson among eight players who are entering make-or-break years.
Trapasso noted that in his second season in the league last year, Dotson played more than 82 percent of Washington's offensive snaps but only saw a minor uptick in receptions (49) and fewer yards (508).
"Dotson was clearly less efficient as an offensive weapon in his second season," Trapasso wrote. "Do I think the Commanders would automatically trade him if he doesn't erupt in Year 3? No. But if he hovers around 45-50 snags with 500-ish yards... then he's unlikely to be in the team's long-term plans after the 2024 season."
To a certain extent, Kevin Sheehan agrees that the 2024 campaign does fall into the make-or-break category for the former first-round draft pick.
"I think it's a big opportunity," Sheehan said. "This is Kliff Kingsbury with a rookie quarterback and if Daniels is the guy that shines at quarterback, and Dotson doesn't have a bigger season and benefit from that – and by the way, I think he will, I'm predicting a big season for Jahan Dotson, or a much bigger season than he's had. Look, when he was healthy in year one, I think we saw a lot of what we were hoping we'd see from him after he was picked No. 16 overall out of Penn State and that was the ability to get open, the ability to make contested catches, his ability after the catch.
"... Is Jahan Dotson in a big make-or-break seaon? Yeah, I think so."
The issue coming is after the 2024 season, Washington will have to decide if they want to pick up his fifth-year option, something the Commanders didn't do with Chase Young and this year with Jamin Davis. And Dotson's play this season will determine that.
"He's gonna have to have a pretty good season and prove to Kliff Kingsbury and company and Adam Peters that he's a big part of why Jayden Daniels succeeds," Sheehan said. "I think if Jayden Daniels has a big year, the beneficiary of that year is gonna be Jahan Dotson."
For the entire conversation, including other players on Washington's roster entering make-or-break seasons, listen on the audio player above.
