The status quo is never safe amid a coaching change.
Washington HC Dan Quinn made that clear Thursday when he was asked about the Commanders' continued search for a No. 2 wide receiver.
"I would say we are right in the middle of it," Quinn said. "...You'll see two, three, four, five, there's a lot of guys that are really battling. I've been really impressed with Olamide (Zaccheaus), I thought he's had a really strong camp. Looking forward to getting Luke (McCaffrey) some extra work into here, Jahan (Dotson), Dyami (Brown), so that's where we're at."
That role last year, under former head coach Ron Rivera, fell squarely to Dotson.
Dotson played 81.8% of the team's offensive snaps in 2023, just 36 fewer plays than Terry McLaurin and over 300 more than Curtis Samuel, whose offseason departure to the Buffalo Bills seemed initially to signal more responsibility coming Dotson's way.
Few likely expected so much of it to be heaped on him during preseason games, though.
Dotson recently led all receivers with 31 offensive snaps during Washington's preseason opener against the New York Jets. He caught two passes for 13 yards. His participation stood in stark contrast to the usage of the Commanders' unquestioned WR1, McLaurin, who saw the same 11 plays as rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels on the game's opening drive.
Such heavy action is usually reserved for those still needing to give something more to coaches. To Dotson's credit, he isn't shying from the reality.
"DQ didn't draft me," Dotson said, . "Each and every year ā¦ in your profession, you got to prove yourself. You got to prove what you're worth and what you're capable of doing. That's what I'm trying to do."
Dotson, the No. 16 overall pick in 2022, finds himself in competition following an uneven start to his career. He showed tremendous potential during an injury-plagued rookie season with 35 catches for 523 yards and seven touchdowns across 12 games.
Although he remained healthy throughout last season, his reception numbers in 17 contests only improved marginally, to 49, while he regressed in most other areas. Dotson's yards per receptions dropped from 14.9 to 10.6, resulting in just 518 receiving yards, and he logged four receiving TDs.
To reverse course and break out in Year 3 in a new offense, he'll need to elevate himself above teammates such as the ones Quinn mentioned -- slot veteran Zaccheaus, third-round rookie McCaffrey and former third-rounder Brown, who like Dotson underperformed for a departed regime.
Given Daniels is vying for the starting spot as the No. 2 overall pick, the Commanders possess a vital need for another big-time WR contributor alongside McLaurin to ease his evolution.
Dotson believes he can be that and more -- he just needs to show it.
"The biggest thing is just playing fast and becoming extremely comfortable in the playbook," he said regarding how he can prove himself. "That allows me to be able to put my own [spin] on routes. But at the same time, playing fast, stretching the field, keeping the defense off balance. That's a big thing for me. I feel like once I'm able to really get comfortable in the playbook and I'm able to play as fast as possible. ā¦ I feel like I'm kind of unguardable."
