The Washington Commanders started wheeling and dealing about halfway through the 2024 season and really never stopped, making blockbuster deals for veteran stars like cornerback Marshon Lattimore at the trade deadline and continuing through offseason trades for left offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil and wide receiver Deebo Samuel.
It all makes sense. That’s what a team with an unexpected Super Bowl window might do — bring in players who can help right away.
All of those trades reduced the Commanders’ 2025 NFL draft class to just 5 picks, with Bleacher Report’s Damian Parson calling the franchise out for a lackluster draft class as one of several NFL teams who need a “Do Over” when it comes to its picks.
Most of that criticism seems focused on the Commanders’ fourth round pick (No. 128 overall) with Virginia Tech wide receiver Jaylin Lane.
“The board broke their way later in the draft, but they chose the wrong wideout prospect in Round 4,” Parson wrote on May 9. “The Commanders selected Jaylin Lane, who was the 27th-ranked wide receiver and No. 214 overall prospect on the B/R NFL Scouting Department’s final big board. Five picks later, the Kansas City Chiefs took Jalen Royals, the sixth-ranked wideout and No. 49 overall prospect on the B/R big board.”
It’s the second year in a row the Commanders used a mid round pick on a wide receiver after taking Rice’s Luke McCaffrey in the third round (No. 100 overall) of the 2024 NFL draft. McCaffrey did little to help Washington think he might be a viable part of their future plans with just 18 receptions for 168 yards and no touchdowns as a rookie.
Lane’s Real Value Could Be On Special Teams
Lane’s production at wide receiver alone isn’t what got him picked in the NFL draft — he never had a 1,000-yard receiving season in college — but it’s what he does in all aspects of the game that could make him valuable.
In 5 seasons at Middle Tennessee State and Virginia Tech, Lane had 4,381 all purpose yards and 23 total touchdowns and scored in a multitude of ways — receiving, rushing and returns. He was also 2 inches taller and 20 pounds heavier than he’d been listed throughout his college career when he checked in at 5-foot-10 and 191 pounds at the NFL combine.
Lane’s testing at the combine was also off the charts. He ran the 40-yard dash in a blazing, 4.34 seconds to go with a 40-inch vertical leap and an 11-foot broad jump. In 5 college seasons, he earned postseason honors 3 times as a 2-time All-Conference USA pick and All-ACC in 2024.
“Semi-versatile slot option with legitimate long speed and talent to add yardage with the ball in his hands,” NFL draft analyst Lance Zierlein wrote. “Lane can stretch defenses from the slot with his build-up speed and is a viable option in catch-and-run packages near the line of scrimmage.”
The Commanders might be more inclined to plug-and-play Lane in their return game and keep veteran running back Austin Ekeler’s touches limited to offense after he made NFL All-Pro as a return specialist in 2024 but missed 5 games with a pair of concussions.
