McLaurin will need to build chemistry to see stats increase

McLaurin enters his second season with high hopes and high expectations. He is expected to once again be the bright spot on a Washington offense that lacks other options. McLaurin’s season could go in a number of different directions, but comparing him with Calvin Ridley and D.J. Moore can give a better idea of what to expect.

D.J. Moore is the best case scenario of what to expect from McLaurin this year. Moore saw a solid rookie year with some higher expectations for his sophomore campaign. He delivered by recording almost 400 yards of receiving more while also doubling his touchdowns (albeit from 2 to 4). He had significantly more targets and receptions with helped led to the big increase of his stats.

Calvin Ridley, however, did not see his statistics increase. He managed to get just 45 more yards than he did in his rookie year and saw his touchdowns drop from 10 to 7. He missed a few games due to injury, but the Falcons were hoping that he would be able to improve significantly in his second year rather than staying the same.

Both Moore and Ridley had the advantage of not being the focal point of their offense. With Christian McCaffrey and Julio Jones respectively, Moore and Ridley were able to exploit matchups against less talented defenders. McLaurin will be the primary piece defenses plan around unless someone unexpected rises up for Washington.

With multiple pros and cons for McLaurin entering the year, spitting the difference of Moore and Ridley seems like a solid prediction. McLaurin could see a modest increase of his stats to around 1,100 yards and 7 touchdowns due to the increased connection he will be able to develop with Dwayne Haskins throughout the year, but also bringing the attention of CB1.