- Joined
- Apr 7, 2014
- Messages
- 2,542
- Reaction score
- 4,985
- Points
- 93
Welcome to the pre-draft season! Leading up to the Pittsburgh Steelers 2022 NFL Draft starting on April 28th, we will be releasing draft profiles of prospects who could potentially see themselves on the Steelers. Next up…
OVERVIEW:
With us now officially in Draft Week, the Steelers’ priority list is starting to take shape. Up until the end of last week, the strong safety position was the only vacancy on the roster that didn’t have a presumed starter listed. But with the re-signing of Terrell Edmunds, this moves the needle for the Steelers’ first round pick off safety and to potential contributors on offense. But with that said, this year’s draft for the Steelers is relatively open compared to last year as to who will be their first pick. In 2021, there was a majority agreement that a running back was going to be called by the Steelers in the first round. However, with now four days left to go before the 2022 draft, there’s a split amongst Steeler Nation of whether it will be a quarterback, wide receiver, or possibly cornerback who will be taken at 20th overall. I am here to say that I am fully comfortable and confident in Mitch Trubisky starting under center in September; but he needs a reliable receiver inside to help round out the offense. This is where Penn State’s Jahan Dotson would be an intriguing prospect for General Manager Kevin Colbert and Head Coach Mike Tomlin.
Steelers’ prospect Jahan Dotson makes a one-handed catch versus Auburn (Joe Hermitt | jhermitt@pennlive.com)
PROS:
Dotson is arguably one of the most underrated receivers, let alone prospects, in this year’s draft. He has fluid route-running abilities and tremendous hands. He’s a versatile player who can line up on the outside or inside of the offense and can even contribute on special teams if need be. For how he’d succeed in Pittsburgh, it’d most likely be as a slot receiver. With JuJu Smith-Schuster and Ray-Ray McCloud gone, this leaves a void in the middle of the field and Pat Freiermuth needs a partner in crossing up the middle of the defense.
Dotson can beat defenders at every level of the defense. He can get open on inside crossing routes or split the safeties on long, deep routes. He has great ball skills and always puts himself in the best position possible to make a play on the ball. Dotson has great footwork and shows to have different gears once he gets the ball in his hands. For not having a large physical presence, he plays bigger than what he looks like by having a large catch radius. Dotson has all of the right tools to make him a true All-Pro NFL receiver.
How Did Dotson Perform at the Combine?
CONS:
As I indicated above, Dotson’s size is a bit smaller than what NFL scouts like in an inside receiver. At 5’11” and 178 pounds, it doesn’t take much to overpower Dotson off the line in press coverage. On that same note, he tends to be most comfortable on the outside than inside of the formation. He seems to have difficulties in fighting his way through a crowd to get to the top of his route and this causes him to get lost in the play. His blocking is also a bit suspect. If Dotson gets selected to play in the inside of the Steelers’ offense, he’ll need to learn how to get physical on run plays and block oncoming defenders. To put it bluntly, Dotson is going to really need to grow physically in order for him to thrive in the NFL.
Jahan Dotson makes a catch down the seam against Maryland (Erin Sullivan | Onward State)
DRAFT PROJECTION: Late 1st to 2nd Round
I said it above and I’ll say it again – Dotson is very underrated. Before the NFL Combine, he was a solid second round selection, but he’s floated into the Day 1 conversation as we get closer and closer to the first round. This year’s wide receiver draft class is very deep, which is why Dotson would be called probably on the second day instead of the opening round. However, if the Steelers decide to pass on him at the 20th spot, they should not expect to see him available come their 52nd overall selection.
Ranking the Options: Trade Up? Trade Back? Stay Put? What Should Steelers Do With #20?
VERDICT:
I consider the wide receiver position to be a top priority for the Steelers in the draft. There is a good chance Dotson is going to be available to them in the first round and I think he makes sense for the offense. For being considered “Linebacker U”, Penn State has churned out top talent at the receiver position in recent years. Just look at Allen Robinson II, Chris Godwin, KJ Hamler, and DaeSean Hamilton. For the Steelers, the only difficult part of selecting Dotson is the paradox between using an early pick too soon on a prospect who may not necessarily fit that bill, or bank on him being available later in the 2nd round and either making a trade to grab him or having to resort to a contingency plan. Sure, in a perfect world we’d like to see a top-tier quarterback and Dotson get taken in the first two rounds, but the odds of that happening are slim. Therefore, although this may be an unpopular opinion, I’d prefer Dotson in the first round over any other prospect not named ‘Malik Willis’, ‘Trent McDuffie’, or ‘Chris Olave’ for the Steelers.
Where do you see Dotson going in April? Would you want to see him in the black and gold? Let us know in the comments below!
#SteelerNation
Support SteelerNation by clicking here to read the story..
Jahan Dotson (Wide Receiver), Penn State, Senior
OVERVIEW:
With us now officially in Draft Week, the Steelers’ priority list is starting to take shape. Up until the end of last week, the strong safety position was the only vacancy on the roster that didn’t have a presumed starter listed. But with the re-signing of Terrell Edmunds, this moves the needle for the Steelers’ first round pick off safety and to potential contributors on offense. But with that said, this year’s draft for the Steelers is relatively open compared to last year as to who will be their first pick. In 2021, there was a majority agreement that a running back was going to be called by the Steelers in the first round. However, with now four days left to go before the 2022 draft, there’s a split amongst Steeler Nation of whether it will be a quarterback, wide receiver, or possibly cornerback who will be taken at 20th overall. I am here to say that I am fully comfortable and confident in Mitch Trubisky starting under center in September; but he needs a reliable receiver inside to help round out the offense. This is where Penn State’s Jahan Dotson would be an intriguing prospect for General Manager Kevin Colbert and Head Coach Mike Tomlin.
Steelers’ prospect Jahan Dotson makes a one-handed catch versus Auburn (Joe Hermitt | jhermitt@pennlive.com)
PROS:
Dotson is arguably one of the most underrated receivers, let alone prospects, in this year’s draft. He has fluid route-running abilities and tremendous hands. He’s a versatile player who can line up on the outside or inside of the offense and can even contribute on special teams if need be. For how he’d succeed in Pittsburgh, it’d most likely be as a slot receiver. With JuJu Smith-Schuster and Ray-Ray McCloud gone, this leaves a void in the middle of the field and Pat Freiermuth needs a partner in crossing up the middle of the defense.
How Would the Steelers Use Dotson?
Dotson can beat defenders at every level of the defense. He can get open on inside crossing routes or split the safeties on long, deep routes. He has great ball skills and always puts himself in the best position possible to make a play on the ball. Dotson has great footwork and shows to have different gears once he gets the ball in his hands. For not having a large physical presence, he plays bigger than what he looks like by having a large catch radius. Dotson has all of the right tools to make him a true All-Pro NFL receiver.
How Did Dotson Perform at the Combine?
CONS:
As I indicated above, Dotson’s size is a bit smaller than what NFL scouts like in an inside receiver. At 5’11” and 178 pounds, it doesn’t take much to overpower Dotson off the line in press coverage. On that same note, he tends to be most comfortable on the outside than inside of the formation. He seems to have difficulties in fighting his way through a crowd to get to the top of his route and this causes him to get lost in the play. His blocking is also a bit suspect. If Dotson gets selected to play in the inside of the Steelers’ offense, he’ll need to learn how to get physical on run plays and block oncoming defenders. To put it bluntly, Dotson is going to really need to grow physically in order for him to thrive in the NFL.
Jahan Dotson makes a catch down the seam against Maryland (Erin Sullivan | Onward State)
DRAFT PROJECTION: Late 1st to 2nd Round
I said it above and I’ll say it again – Dotson is very underrated. Before the NFL Combine, he was a solid second round selection, but he’s floated into the Day 1 conversation as we get closer and closer to the first round. This year’s wide receiver draft class is very deep, which is why Dotson would be called probably on the second day instead of the opening round. However, if the Steelers decide to pass on him at the 20th spot, they should not expect to see him available come their 52nd overall selection.
Ranking the Options: Trade Up? Trade Back? Stay Put? What Should Steelers Do With #20?
Is Dotson a Top 20 Pick?
VERDICT:
I consider the wide receiver position to be a top priority for the Steelers in the draft. There is a good chance Dotson is going to be available to them in the first round and I think he makes sense for the offense. For being considered “Linebacker U”, Penn State has churned out top talent at the receiver position in recent years. Just look at Allen Robinson II, Chris Godwin, KJ Hamler, and DaeSean Hamilton. For the Steelers, the only difficult part of selecting Dotson is the paradox between using an early pick too soon on a prospect who may not necessarily fit that bill, or bank on him being available later in the 2nd round and either making a trade to grab him or having to resort to a contingency plan. Sure, in a perfect world we’d like to see a top-tier quarterback and Dotson get taken in the first two rounds, but the odds of that happening are slim. Therefore, although this may be an unpopular opinion, I’d prefer Dotson in the first round over any other prospect not named ‘Malik Willis’, ‘Trent McDuffie’, or ‘Chris Olave’ for the Steelers.
Where do you see Dotson going in April? Would you want to see him in the black and gold? Let us know in the comments below!
#SteelerNation
Support SteelerNation by clicking here to read the story..
