2022 NFL Draft: Wide Receiver Deep Dive - Jahan Dotson

    

Jahan Dotson - Penn State

Overview:

Strengths:

1. Speed - Incredible open field speed. No one will catch him from behind with the ball in his hands, but he could implement more of his speed into his route running at times.

2. Lower Body Power - Lower body power is indicative of acceleration, vertical ability, and clean acute route breaks in stride. Dotson clearly has incredible power and has shown all of these abilities throughout his film, but has failed to use them consistently.

3. Hands - Dotson has extremely reliable hands, catching 91 of 93 catchable targets in 2021.

Weaknesses:

1. Line Contact - If a defender gets his hands on him at the line, the route is generally slowed significantly.

2. Inconsistency - Dotson is inconsistent in all areas of his game other than his catch reliability. He has shown the ability to run beautiful routes, creating his own separation at every level of the field, but then just seems to slow down on others. Learning how to utilize his physical traits to his advantage in some way or another on every play will take his game to the next level.

3. Deep Ball Tracking - This should be correctable, but Dotson does not generally adjust well to poorly thrown deep balls.

Grade: Late First

Jahan Dotson has the speed, acceleration, catching ability, and football IQ to become a superstar. He needs to learn to use his physical tools better on every play as opposed to just showing flashes in order to develop into a versatile every down weapon at the next level.

Film:

Auburn (09/18/2021): 10-78-1

Great release, one cut move, and ability to make a man miss all in one play. Kept moving to the opening in the back of the end zone to get the touchdown. Sure hands. Incredible high point catch. Excellent footwork on 180 turn. No one on him when crossing the field from the outside 15-20 yards out on multiple plays. Little deep separation down the sideline on multiple go routes, though he has the release, acceleration, and top-end speed for this not to be an issue. Seems to be able to read a defense well.

Michigan (11/13/2021): 9-61-0

Contact at line slowed route tremendously. Incredible vertical. Excellent one step jab release if no contact in press. Speed is a threat for a big play on screens. Wins deep over middle more than down the sideline. Frequently starts from both slot and the outside, on both sides of the field. Appears that Dotson could have always been wide open verses press if the routes had a second break, but the Michigan defensive line rarely let plays develop. Frequently in isolation man coverage as the only receiver on his side of the field. Multiple great blocks. Solid one-step second cut with elite speed. Inconsistent release. Incredible move at the line. Incredible concentration on two point conversion. Dance into short slant nearly always open.

Ohio State (10/30/2021): 11-127-0

Sat open in zone frequently. Great posture on block, really locking up the corner. Solid lateral acceleration, but linear acceleration is superior. Always has a step or two on the defender with slants. Wide open in zone almost every available play.

Iowa (10/09/2021): 8-48-0

Uses blockers well on screens. Good at selling deep routes before sitting open due to threat of his speed, which he did not seem to utilize much throughout this game. Contact at line slows his route. Has not tracked deep balls well this game. Received some horrible throws on decent routes, but still an overall unimpressive showing from Dotson.

Indiana (10/02/2021): 8-84-2

Solid comeback route. No one around him over the middle after second route break. Can lock up corners when blocking. Excellent at using blockers on screens. Clifford missed him multiple times. Great improvisational route adjustment, and use of open space on multiple plays.

Wisconsin (09/04/2021): 5-102-1

Found the zone, but unsure if the route miscommunication was on him or the quarterback. Solid blocking technique. Runs like a sprinter on go routes. Very fast, but has trouble tracking deep balls that are not perfectly thrown. Has the speed to run by defenders who are not ready to turn.

Maryland - (11/06/2021): 11-242-3

Uses second route break to get wide open deep. Great positioning on inside routes. Excellent full extension on difficult catch. Difficult catch made in traffic. Kicks in an extra gear with the ball in his hands, and uses blockers well downfield. Abrupt acceleration. He will not be caught from behind. Dotson showcases his speed well in this matchup. Head gave away route despite decent move.

Coverage:

Press

Frequently against press isolated on one side of the field. Dotson generally gains a step on any inside cut, but does not get as much separation when working the sideline. Overall impressive against press given his size.

Jam Response (in Press)

Dotson generally did a poor job at working through contact at the line, and it would usually slow his route significantly.

Soft Press

Regularly gets open over the middle against soft press. This mitigates some of his issues with contact at the line.

Squat

His ability to run by any defender not already turning to match him should make Dotson deadly against squat, but he does not always run his routes with vigor. His deep threat ability allows him to get open underneath rather frequently, but he does not gain as much deep separation against squat coverage as he should given his speed and athleticism.

Off

Similarly to squat, Dotson frequently is given space for screens and shorter routes, but does not gain as much deep separation, especially down the sidelines. Adding a mid route stutter to a go route here and there may be beneficial.

Inside Zone

Dotson almost always knows how to find the hole in zone underneath.

Route Distance:

Behind LOS

Used successfully in screen game, where his speed is always a threat for a big play. Uses blockers extremely well.

0-5 yards

Usually gains separation on drag routes due to speed off the line. Excellent footwork on two yard cuts after getting in the corner's face. Not as much success in the flats, but the ability is there.

5-10 yards

Nearly always gains separation on slants and curl routes. He has the same stutter move on almost every slant, but it has been effective at the collegiate level. He generally does a single step cut when going outside at the same distance, so he will need to correct this tendency so that NFL corners cannot run his route for him from the break.

10-15 yards

Solid comeback routes and curls 10-15 yards out. Very good at running through holes in the defense.

15-20 yards

Frequently wide open after second route break. 15+ yard routes with multiple breaks from the slot or towards the middle from the outside are where Dotson can tear apart a defense gaining separation in both man and zone.

20+ yards

Not always the best at tracking deep balls or adjusting his route accordingly. Has the speed to blow by defenders, especially over the middle, then make a single cut to gain deep separation, but he rarely runs deeper routes of that nature. Can win jump balls deep, but has had little opportunity to showcase this skill. Often underthrown when open deep. That said, plays with multiple route breaks where he can use his speed and acceleration out of the cuts are his best run routes.

Blocking:

Willingness

Dotson knows how to block, and is willing to take on any corner. Rarely tries to block linebackers, but also is not frequently put in that position.

Technique

The smaller Penn State receivers impressed on multiple occasions with blocking technique. Solid stance, slight extension, elbows in, hands on the inside of the shoulder pads, and a slight grab so that the defender could not sweep his hands away were all boxes checked for Dotson. Size is lacking, but decent technique for a college receiver.

Attributes:

Attributes		Grade (/10)	Notes
Separation	Short	8	Most short routes were screens near the boundary, but Dotson has the body control and lateral acceleration to gain separation in short areas. His acute change of direction could be better, but that should improve with practice at the next level assuming teams do not use him as just a field stretcher.
	Medium	8.5	Generally very good. Great at sitting in the zone on intermediate routes, and has a nice move to get a step on the defender in man. More separation crossing over the middle than on any sort of out route from either side.
	Deep	6.5	Deep separation over the middle is generally good if he is matched up against safeties, but it should be better overall. If a deep route has two breaks, he is generally wide open. Deep separation down the sideline should be excellent given his speed and ability to accelerate abruptly, but he is blanketed more frequently than not. This should improve with practice and coaching. His ball tracking ability also leaves something to be desired.
Release	Stance	9	More ankle separation than most receivers, seemingly more of a sprinter's stance. Nothing inherently wrong with it, but his hand movements off the line are telegraphed, which likely is one reason for his struggle with contact at the line.
	Acceleration	9	Incredible acceleration when he puts effort into it.
	Hip Control	7.5	More fluidity in his hips will be necessary for him to improve change of direction and false moves. Based on the speed at which Dotson can move in any direction, it is easy to assume that his hips are quite fluid. Looking closer, he can afford to be more fluid when planting, changing levels, and selling false moves. His best bursts occur after he sinks his hips, which makes sense biomechanically, so many aspects of his game may become more consistent with better hip control.
Hands	Catch Reliability	9.5	Only dropped 2 of 93 catchable targets in 2021. No concerns here.
	Catch Radius	7	At 5'11, Dotson does not have excellent reach. He also does not have many impressive low or diving catches. What he does possess are very sure hands and an excellent vertical. Contested Catch - Great concentration on contested catches. He is only 5'11, but has incredible jumping ability, which is unsurprising given he was state champion for the long jump in 2016. This grade is affected more by height than ability.
Versatility	Starting Position	9	Dotson can be successful from the slot or out wide verses any type of defense. The only place he should not start often is from the backfield.
	Overall Skill Set	9	Great blocking for his size, route running, catching ability, and speed combine into a very complete overall skillset.
RAC	Athleticism	8.5	It is very clear that his athleticism is incredible, but it does not always translate well to the field. If a coach can teach him how to use his speed and lower body power effectively in the NFL, he could easily become one of the top prospects in class. Winning the state championships in the 4x100 relay and long jump in 2016, as well as winning the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference crown in the 100m, 200m, and 4x100 relay in 2018, are impressive accolades proving his speed. He makes some impressive catches showcasing his athleticism and can clearly jump over anyone on the field, but needs to show that he can use all of these gifts to get open more consistently. He also can afford to work on deceleration, which will help with his route running, stop-start ability with the ball in his hands, and help prevent open-field injuries.
	Agility	7	Elusive overall, but not a gadget superstar. He makes single cuts well, can make one man miss, and can win with speed. He will not stop and start suddenly to dance his way between defenders.
	Contact Balance	3	While he can play through contact, his contact balance specifically is lacking. He will make a guy miss entirely before breaking any tackles.
Awareness	Sideline	7	He worked the sideline a decent amount behind the line of scrimmage and in the flats, but there was no obvious indicator either way that he had good or bad sideline awareness.
	Defensive Scheme	9	Route adjustments were very common against zone. He would accelerate to and sit longer in holes that many other receivers may fail to recognize. He may have given too much respect to the zone at times by practically slowing down too much and having occasional miscommunications with the quarterback, but the recognition is certainly there.
	Improvisation	9	Dotson knows how to move with and assist a quarterback rolling out or scrambling. He certainly has a high football IQ in that regard.

Full Report:

Dotson could have had a much better tenure at Penn State if he had a better quarterback. He appears to play slower than what is possible for him on many plays, which could indicate a jump at the next level in the right circumstance. He flashes incredible raw tools, but does not use them consistently. Dotson has a special quality about him in that he almost appears raw in every aspect of his game. He has elite speed, lower body power, acceleration, hands, knows how to get open in zone, great innate route running and separation in man, and seems like an overall intelligent player. All of these positive qualities flash in most games, but are very inconsistent play to play. If he can learn to refine his tools and use his gifts on every play, then he has the ability to become the best wide receiver in this class. Because of this potential, he deserves to be taken in the first round. His game is not without flaws, the most obvious being his stature. Standing at 5'11, he is smaller than many outside receivers. Dotson will likely play from both the slot and outside, so improving his ability to fight through contact will help his game significantly. He also needs to work on deep ball tracking, changing up his moves on intermediate route breaks before a slant, and sinking his hips more during any acute change of direction. With all of his other physical attributes, this is going to be a player who either vastly improves or plummets his draft stock at the combine.

NFL Projection:

Dotson needs to be able to move all over the field, and should be put in a position to do so. He will likely not be the number one receiver on his team, and will have the opportunity to play against teams' nickel or second outside corners. He will be the speed guy on the outside, who also rotates into the slot where he may spend the majority of his time as a rookie. Once he proves that he can handle himself in the big leagues, then he will likely carve himself a more defined and consistent roll depending on how he develops.