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Commanders Catch Heat For Offensive Draft Pick

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Adam Schultz | Last updated May 12, 2025 1:22 AM ET

The beauty of the NFL Draft is that many people have different opinions on each player, and that is certainly the case for Washington Commanders' fourth-round pick, Jaylin Lane.

The Virginia Tech receiver comes to Dan Quinn's team looking to make his mark on the roster with rookie camp already underway, but not everyone is completely thrilled with the selection.

Granted, some fourth-round picks can be dart throws, but Bleacher Report draft analyst Damian Parson thinks the Commanders should have drafted Utah State's Jalen Royals instead.

"Both Lane and Royals displayed their explosiveness and speed on film and at the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine. But outside of athletic ability, there aren't many similarities between the two pass-catchers," Parson wrote.

"Daniels' deep passing accuracy and off-script playmaking elevated the Commanders' offense into a top-five scoring unit as a rookie. Adding Royals would have given this offense more bang for its buck and versatility for the future."

So this is purely subjective and only time will tell if Royals would have been a better fit than Lane, but it is clear the Commanders saw something in Lane that made them select him over Royals.

Exactly what that is we don't know, but now, we will be watching this Lane/Royals battle if you like throughout their rookie season and beyond.

With Lane likely to begin his career on special teams and potentially earn snaps on offense, it will be interesting to see how he develops under Dan Quinn and Kliff Kingsbury.

The Buffalo Bills were ridiculed for taking Keon Coleman instead of Xavier Worthy. The Commanders are hoping they won't be in the same boat with Lane and Royals.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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