Commanders Predicted to ‘Expand the Playbook’ With Day 3 Draft Pick

They made three of their five picks in the 2025 NFL draft on Day 3, but only one of those late-round prospects for the Washington Commanders is predicted to help offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury “expand the playbook.”

Wide receiver Jaylin Lane, taken in the fourth round as the 128th name to come off the board, and somebody Washington’s NFC East rivals also coveted, can make an instant impact for the Commanders in two areas. He has special teams value in the return game, but Lane opens up several intriguing possibilities for Kingsbury.

Those possibilities were explained by The Draft Network’s Ryan Fowler. He named Lane a “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. 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.”

Lane’s profile as a speedster from the slot and prolific source of yards after the catch explain why the Commanders got an upgrade over last season’s options in this role. Veterans Olamide Zaccheaus and Jamison Crowder made contributions late in the campaign, but the Commanders need a more explosive threat on the inside to complement the verticality outside the numbers of Terry McLaurin.

Jaylin Lane Can Be a Weapon for Kliff Kingsbury

While McLaurin will maintain his status as a big-play threat on the perimeter, what’s missing is a field-stretcher between the hashmarks. The perfect example of Lane’s explosiveness from the slot was this 75-yard catch and run for a touchdown against Wake Forest, highlighted by Reel Analytics, noting the wideout “hit a max speed of 20.9 mph.”

Washington’s receiver corps doesn’t feature an inside target able to cover the ground so quickly. Last year’s third-round pick Luke McCaffrey offers greater size at 6-foot-2 and 198 pounds and so does Deebo Samuel, although the latter is likely to be used all across formations, including the backfield, the way he was with the San Francisco 49ers.

Lane is somebody Kingsbury can deploy on the inside of stacked, trips and bunch formations. The play-caller can also motion Lane around to create easy throws for Jayden Daniels and quick ways to get the ball into the hands of a YAC machine.

Some notable examples of how this scheme can work were highlighted by ESPN’s Matt Bowen, who applauded Lane’s “Vertical speed from the slot. Stop/start ability.”