2022 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Jahan Dotson

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Jahan Dotson, 5-11/178 Wide Receiver Penn State

Jahan Dotson Scouting Report
By Charlie Campbell

Strengths:

Dangerous playmaker

Routinely makes amazing highlight-reel catches

Threat to score and rip off long gains on any touch

Superb hands

Natural hands catcher

Smooth route-runner

Has a burst out of his breaks

Consistently generates separation

Sudden

Chaellenges a defense vertically

Finds soft spots in zone

Superb on double moves

Speed to go vertical

Tough and competitive

Tracks the ball well

Excellent on 50-50 passes for a small receiver

Impressive catch radius for a small receiver

Weaknesses:

Undersized

Light

Short

Will have problems with long NFL corners

Could be limited to being a slot receiver

Could have a hard time getting off contact

Needs to get stronger

Summary: Penn State has recruited some excellent skill position players under James Franklin, and Dotson will be the latest of those athletes who is an early-round prospect for an NFL draft. Dotson notched 27 catches for 488 yards and five touchdowns in 2019. As a sophomore in 2020, Dotson collected 52 passes for 884 yards and eight touchdowns. Dotson then recorded 91 receptions in 2021 for 1,182 yards and 12 touchdowns. He was excellent as a junior, producing a lot of big plays for Penn State. Dotson should have had an even bigger season, but quarterback Sean Clifford routinely missed him wide open downfield with inaccurate passes. In the 2021 opener against Wisconsin alone, Dotson should have had touchdowns of over 80 yards, 70 yards and 60 yards, but terrible passes from Clifford blew those opportunities. That happened in other games as well, so while Dotson put together a bigger stat line in 2021, he was even better than the numbers illustrate.

There is a lot to like about Dotson for the NFL. He is a dynamic dangerous playmaker who is a threat to score and rip off long gains on any reception. With speed off the line and a second gear, Dotson will blaze through his route and his burst out of his breaks helps him consistently create separation. He also is dangerous on double moves, as his route-running and suddenness allow him to get open downfield while challenging defenses vertically. Dotson shows superb hands and is a natural hands catcher who is very reliable at securing ball.

Dotson shows an uncanny ability to make leaping grabs and make highlight-reel acrobatic receptions. He uses his excellent body control, leaping ability, and secure hands, to haul in some incredible catches – and bail out Penn State’s inaccurate passing. While Dotson is not a big wideout, his ability to make leaping grabs makes him dangerous on 50-50 passes while also giving his quarterback a larger catch radius than most smaller receivers. Dotson brings a gritty and competitive style to the field, and his feistiness can energize his teammate beyond even his with big-play ability.

Dotson faces some limitations for the NFL from being short and light. He could have problems with longer cornerbacks, and getting off jams and reroutes could be an issue for him. As a pro, Dotson’s size might limit him to mainly being a slot receiver.

Dotson looks likely to be a second-round pick, at worst, in the 2022 NFL Draft. He has a chance of sneaking into the first round as well.



Player Comparison: Elijah Moore Dotson and Moore are almost identical in size and are dangerous slot receivers. Moore is a quick route-runner who can get open and has reliable hands. Dotson could be a similar NFL wideoute, and maybe a better version of Moore.

2022 NFL Draft Player Previews - Choose Player 2022 NFL Draft Player Previews - Home Adam Anderson, OLB, Georgia Calvin Austin, WR, Memphis Tyler Badie, RB, Missouri Amaré Barno, OLB, Virginia Tech Andrew Booth, CB, Clemson David Bell, WR, Purdue Nik Bonitto, OLB, Oklahoma Jaquan Brisker, S, Penn State Treylon Burks, WR, Arkansas Zachary Carter, DE, Florida Leo Chenal, LB, Wisconsin Lewis Cine, S, Georgia Damone Clark, LB, LSU Micheal Clemons, DE, Texas A&M Bryan Cook, S, Cincinnati James Cook, RB, Georgia Yusuf Corker, S, Kentucky Matt Corral, QB, Ole Miss Charles Cross, OT, Mississippi State Nick Cross, S, Maryland Jordan Davis, DT, Georgia Nakobe Dean, LB, Georgia Jahan Dotson, WR, Penn State Greg Dulcich, TE, UCLA Arnold Ebiketie, DE, Penn State Kaiir Elam, CB, Florida Ikem Ekwonu, OT, N.C. State Martin Emerson, CB, Mississippi State Kingsley Enagbare, DE, South Carolina Daniel Faalele, OT, Minnesota Luke Fortner, C, Kentucky Ahmad 'Sauce' Gardner, CB, Cincinnati Luke Goedeke, G, Central Michigan Kyler Gordon, CB, Washington Kenyon Green, G, Texas A&M Breece Hall, RB, Iowa State Logan Hall, DE, Houston Kyle Hamilton, S, Notre Dame Christian Harris, LB, Alabama Daxton Hill, S, Michigan Chasen Hines, G, LSU Sam Howell, QB, North Carolina Aidan Hutchinson, DE, Michigan Ed Ingram, G, LSU Drake Jackson, DE, USC Jermaine Johnson, DE, Florida State Zion Johnson, G, Boston College Travis Jones, DT, Connecticut Kerby Joseph, S, Illinois Cam Jurgens, C, Nebraska George Karlaftis, DE, Purdue Darian Kinnard, OT, Kentucky Charlie Kolar, TE, Iowa State DeMarvin Leal, DT, Texas A&M Isaiah Likely, TE, Coastal Carolina Tyler Linderbaum, C, Iowa Devin Lloyd, LB, Utah Drake London, WR, USC Abraham Lucas, OT, Washington State Boye Mafe, DE, Minnesota Phidarian Mathis, DT, Alabama Trey McBride, TE, Colorado State Roger McCreary, CB, Auburn Trent McDuffie, CB, Washington Verone McKinley, S, Oregon John Metchie, WR, Alabama Skyy Moore, WR, Western Michigan Chad Muma, LB, Wyoming David Ojabo, DE, Michigan Chris Olave, WR, Ohio State Cade Otton, TE, Washington Evan Neal, OT, Alabama Josh Paschal, DE, Kentucky Trevor Penning, OT, Northern Iowa Nick Petit-Frere, OT, Ohio State George Pickens, WR, Georgia Kenny Pickett, QB, Pittsburgh Alec Pierce, WR, Cincinnati Dameon Pierce, RB, Florida Jalen Pitre, S, Baylor Brock Purdy, QB, Iowa State Bernhard Raimann, OT, Central Michigan Desmond Ridder, QB, Cincinnati John Ridgeway, DT, Arkansas Brian Robinson, RB, Alabama Wan'Dale Robinson, WR, Kentucky Justyn Ross, WR, Clemson Jeremy Ruckert, TE, Ohio State Jamaree Salyer, G, Georgia Tyler Smith, OT, Tulsa Isaiah Spiller, RB, Texas A&M Derek Stingley, CB, LSU Kayvon Thibodeaux, DE, Oregon Cameron Thomas, DE, San Diego State Tyquan Thornton, WR, Baylor Kenneth Walker, RB, Michigan State Rasheed Walker, OT, Penn State Quay Walker, LB, Georgia Travon Walker, DE, Georgia Christian Watson, WR, North Dakota State Zamir White, RB, Georgia Jameson Williams, WR, Alabama Malik Willis, QB, Liberty Garrett Wilson, WR, Ohio State Perrion Winfrey, DT, Oklahoma Tariq Woolen, CB, UTSA Devonte Wyatt, DT, Georgia Jalen Wydermyer, TE, Texas A&M

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