By Charlie Campbell
Weaknesses:
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.
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