It’s fairly easy to recognize what Jayden Daniels did for the Washington Commanders in his rookie season. Will another Commanders rookie shine brightly in 2025? Here is the Commanders’ best bet for a rookie sleeper to make an impact in the 2025 NFL season.
In the fourth round of the draft, the Commanders took wide receiver Jaylin Lane out of Virginia Tech. The 5-foot-10, 191-pounder should mesh nicely with the Commanders' offense. Lane put on a show at the NFL Combine, according to espn.com.
“(He finished) in the top three for the receivers in the 10-yard split (1.5), 40 (4.34), broad jump (11 feet), vertical jump (40 inches), 20-yard shuttle (4.12) and 3-cone drill (6.75),” Steve Muench wrote. “He's a dynamic player who caught, ran, passed, and returned a punt for a touchdown in 2024.”
Commanders WR Jaylin Lane shows promise
For a fourth-round pick, Lane has drawn very nice reviews.
“He's excellent with the ball in his hands,” Muench wrote. “He's quick with the speed to pull away when he gets a crease. Lane makes defenders miss, breaks tackles, and follows his blocks. He flashes as a route runner and has the skill set to get even better. He's a natural pass catcher with big hands for his frame.”
And he was projected as having the potential to develop into a starter, according to nfl.com.
“Semi-versatile slot option with legitimate long speed and talent to add yardage with the ball in his hands,” 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.”
However, there are some dings for Lane.
“He gives too many clues as a route runner and needs to work on running repeatable, fluid routes as a pro,” Zierlein wrote. “While he’s tough as a runner, he can’t muster the play strength or ball skills to win the contested-catch game. Lane’s best qualities give him a chance to stick on a roster, but he might need to earn his keep as a return man early on.”
WR Jaylin Lane remained on target list
Commanders assistant general manager said the team got the guy they wanted at that spot in the draft, according to commanders.com.
“He is a guy that we were really excited about, organizationally, across the board,” Newmark said. “Just someone that we were really, really excited about. We had a vision for him, and he was the highest player on our board when we got to that point. It really was kind of a stressful wait from noon until whenever we finally picked, because just a lot of stress and hope that he was going to be there for us.”
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In Kliff Kingsbury’s offense, getting a player like Lane will open the doors for creative playcalling. That’s especially true when he’s on the field with Deebo Samuel. Plus, he gives the Commanders a reasonable backup if Samuel misses a game here or there, as he’s done in the past.
Also, he can be effective in the way Dyami Brown and Olamide Zaccheaus were last year. Kingsbury got the ball in their hands quickly and let them use their quickness and agility. Lane is faster than either of those guys.
“(Lane) just does a lot of great things,” Newmark said. “He really helped himself in the spring with his testing numbers. Really was explosive, ran really fast, jumped really high and far. He has a unique instinct with the ball in his hands. He's got a nose for the sticks on first downs. He's got a unique return skillset.”
WR Jaylin Lane likes the opportunity ahead
And Lane said he’s happy to be with the Commanders, according to commanderswire.com.
“When they called, I was ecstatic, you know, extremely happy,” Lane said. “I am ready to get to work.”
And to think the Commanders got Lane with a later pick. Ryan Fowler of The Draft Network had given Lane a Day 2 grade before his last year at Virginia Tech. The disjointed Hokies’ offense didn’t allow Lane to improve his draft stock, but the player’s abilities remained evident, according to Fowler’s post on X.
Some context here, WR Jaylin Lane had early Day 2 grades from teams back in the spring.
“Versatile playmaker that wasn’t done any favors with the offensive architecture of Virginia Tech this fall, where he was really put in a box,” Fowler wrote. “Dynamic with the ball in his hands and can flat. out. fly. Ran 4.34 in Indy. Kliff Kingsbury will allow him to be an athlete & expand the playbook.”
The biggest reason Lane has the best chance to excel as a rookie over others in this draft class is because of the way he fits into Kingsbury’s offensive scheme.
