In this preseason series, I will be taking a look at the 2023 Washington Commanders roster and giving my season predictions on how each position group will perform.
Today I will look at one of the strongest position groups on the team – Wide Receiver.
Ron Rivera has sunk a lot of resources into the wide receiver room over his first three seasons, and those resources came from team extensions (Terry Mclaurin), key free agent additions (Curtis Samuel) and the draft (Jahan Dotson, Dyami Brown, Dax Milne). Despite not having a steady presence at quarterback, the receivers have made the most of their opportunities when they are on the field.
With the strong-armed Howell presumably under center, the receivers should not be limited like they have been in the past. Howell can use the whole field, and that will make defenses play Washington more honestly.
Today I will be focusing my season projections on the team’s top four receiving options.
Terry McLaurin – McLaurin is a dynamic presence on the football field and a top 10 player at his position in the league. In 17 games in 2022, Terry caught 77 passes for 1191 yards and five touchdowns. I expect his receptions and touchdowns to rise a bit, but his yardage total to take a small dip.
Rec: 80
Yards: 1150
TD: 7
Jahan Dotson – Dotson battled injury last year as a rookie, seeing action in just 12 games, yet he made the most of his opportunities collecting 532 yards and a team-leading seven touchdowns on 35 receptions. He is poised for a breakout year in 2023, and his chemistry with Howell will be imperative for early success.
Rec: 65
Yards: 960
TD: 6
Curtis Samuel – Curtis Samuel is a very good weapon in this offense. He just needs a creative mind to effectively use his talents. That’s where new coordinator Eric Bieniemy comes in. If EB can find ways to use Samuel to create mismatches against opposing defenses by getting him the ball in space, his numbers could be a lot better than what I have projected below. For now, I’m going to keep my expectations a bit more tempered.
Rec: 55
Yards: 605
TD: 3
Dyami Brown – Brown is the wild-card here. He already has chemistry with Sam Howell from their days at North Carolina. He too could be poised for a breakout year, but as of now, he’s fourth on the totem poll and will have to prove he deserves his share of the targets.
Rec: 15
Yards: 250
TD: 1