I have some interest in Jahan Dotson. His career thus far hasn’t quite launched, but I’m not ready to quit him just yet.
The Falcons signed him to a two-year deal, thinking or hoping he might be the replacement for Darnell Mooney (who sputtered for most of last year and is now with the Giants).
Atlanta also signed Olamide Zaccheaus and drafted Zachariah Branch in the third round, but Dotson looks more likely to wind up being their best non-Drake wide receiver. His contract weighs in at $15 million, which is more than a throwaway dart throw (it’s over 3 times as much as Zaccheaus got).
As I remember it, Dotson looked just fine as a rookie in 2022, catching 7 touchdowns for a bad Washington team. At that time, I was wondering if he’d be better than Terry McLaurin. But there were injuries, and the Commanders switched offensive coordinators in 2023 and 2024.
While it’s been a while since we’ve seen too much, Dotson had a couple of notable catches with the Eagles while toiling away in a limited role behind A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith. Dotson caught a long pass in the Super Bowl win over KC, setting up the first touchdown. And Dotson caught a 51-yard bomb in the season opener against Dallas last year.
“I think there’s untapped potential with him,” says Matt Ryan, who’s now the president of the team. “And some of it is just the situations he was in early on and some of the places that he was. So, excited about what he can do.”
At this point, I can’t say that I’m planning on selecting Dotson. Atlanta might have Tua Tagovailoa starting for most of the year, and he’s at his best when he’s throwing short, quick passes. I would be more excited about a quarterback with more downfield passing ability. But Dotson is on my lengthy list of guys to keep an eye on in August.
In the last 10 years, 27 wide receivers have caught at least 7 TDs as rookies. Dotson is in that group despite playing in only 12 games. Only seven of those receivers have a better ratio of touchdowns to games.
| TOUCHDOWN PERCENTAGES FOR ROOKIE RECEIVERS | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Player | G | No | Yards | Avg | TD | Pct |
| 2021 | Ja'Marr Chase, Cin. | 17 | 81 | 1455 | 18.0 | 13 | 76.5% |
| 2023 | Tank Dell, Hou. | 11 | 47 | 709 | 15.1 | 7 | 63.6% |
| 2018 | Calvin Ridley, Atl. | 16 | 64 | 821 | 12.8 | 10 | 62.5% |
| 2024 | Jalen McMillan, T.B. | 13 | 37 | 461 | 12.5 | 8 | 61.5% |
| 2016 | Michael Thomas, N.O. | 15 | 92 | 1137 | 12.4 | 9 | 60.0% |
| 2024 | Brian Thomas, Jac. | 17 | 87 | 1282 | 14.7 | 10 | 58.8% |
| 2023 | Jordan Addison, Min. | 17 | 70 | 911 | 13.0 | 10 | 58.8% |
| 2022 | Jahan Dotson, Was. | 12 | 35 | 523 | 14.9 | 7 | 58.3% |
| 2019 | Darius Slayton, NYG | 14 | 48 | 740 | 15.4 | 8 | 57.1% |
| 2020 | Chase Claypool, Pitt. | 16 | 62 | 873 | 14.1 | 9 | 56.3% |
| 2019 | A.J. Brown, Ten. | 16 | 52 | 1051 | 20.2 | 8 | 50.0% |
| 2019 | Terry McLaurin, Was. | 14 | 58 | 919 | 15.8 | 7 | 50.0% |
| 2017 | JuJu Smith-Schuster, Pitt. | 14 | 58 | 917 | 15.8 | 7 | 50.0% |
| 2023 | Jayden Reed, G.B. | 16 | 64 | 793 | 12.4 | 8 | 50.0% |
| 2016 | Sterling Shepard, NYG | 16 | 65 | 683 | 10.5 | 8 | 50.0% |
| 2022 | Christian Watson, G.B. | 14 | 41 | 611 | 14.9 | 7 | 50.0% |
| 2019 | Marquise Brown, Balt. | 14 | 46 | 584 | 12.7 | 7 | 50.0% |
| 2024 | Marvin Harrison, Ari. | 17 | 62 | 885 | 14.3 | 8 | 47.1% |
| 2024 | Malik Nabers, NYG | 15 | 109 | 1204 | 11.0 | 7 | 46.7% |
| 2018 | Anthony Miller, Chi. | 15 | 33 | 423 | 12.8 | 7 | 46.7% |
| 2020 | Justin Jefferson, Min. | 16 | 88 | 1400 | 15.9 | 7 | 43.8% |
| 2024 | Ladd McConkey, LAC | 16 | 82 | 1149 | 14.0 | 7 | 43.8% |
| 2023 | Rashee Rice, K.C. | 16 | 79 | 938 | 11.9 | 7 | 43.8% |
| 2019 | DK Metcalf, Sea. | 16 | 58 | 900 | 15.5 | 7 | 43.8% |
| 2020 | Gabe Davis, Buff. | 16 | 35 | 599 | 17.1 | 7 | 43.8% |
| 2025 | Tetairoa McMillan, Car. | 17 | 70 | 1014 | 14.5 | 7 | 41.2% |
(Note, by the way, that two of the players listed above Dotson are also looking to bounce back after missing most of 2025 with injuries – Tank Dell and Jalen McMillan.)
—Ian Allan
