Washington kept only five wide receivers on its 53-man roster, signaling GM Adam Peters' strong belief in the current receiving corps and Kliff Kingsbury's offensive plan for 2025. Jaylin Lane, a late third-round pick, has generated excitement after overcoming early rookie growing pains and rapidly improving in practices. Lane's limited usage at Virginia Tech depressed his draft stock, but Peters targeted his game-day dynamism at No. 128, fitting Kingsbury's schematics. The rookie absorbed coaching and veteran advice, began producing visibly, and earned public praise from established teammates Terry McLaurin and Jayden Daniels for his professionalism and progression.
The Washington Commanders only took five wide receivers onto their 53-man roster. It's a calculated risk by general manager Adam Peters, which outlines supreme confidence in the options available as Kliff Kingsbury's offense looks to become one of the league's best in 2025. And judging by the hype building around rookie Jaylin Lane, he could be set for a more established role than anyone initially anticipated in Year 1 of his professional career.
The Commanders thought they had a steal on their hands with Lane. He wasn't used effectively during his final college career at Virginia Tech, which saw his stock drop considerably. Peters didn't flinch when he was available at No. 128 overall in the draft. He felt the dynamism attached to his on-field production could be far more useful in Kingsbury's schematic concepts. And so far, that seems to be the case.
Lane went through some typical rookie growing pains over early workouts, but it didn't take long for everything to click. He listened, took advice from the coaches and veterans, and took off. That sort of thing wasn't going to go unnoticed. With Lane firmly entrenched as a potentially important long-term piece of the puzzle, the praise has been glowing.
Amid all the hype around Terry McLaurin's bumper contract extension, it was notable that the second-team All-Pro went out of his way to credit the rookie for his application and professionalism. That's the best way to get veterans onside; just ask franchise quarterback Jayden Daniels. Speaking of Daniels, he also spoke glowingly of Lane after practice, outlining how visible the progression is within the player.
Collection
[
|
...
]