The Washington Commanders came into the offseason with their biggest hole being the quarterback position. They were able to fill that hole when they acquired Carson Wentz from the Indianapolis Colts this offseason.
While Wentz had his struggles at times in Indianapolis, he is an improvement pon Taylor Heinicke, who played with a lot of heart and grit but showed he is better cut out to be a backup than a full-time starter.
With Wentz in the fold, Washington could go about upgrading the rest of the roster. One area that could certainly still use a boost is the wide receiver spot. Terry McLaurin is a true No. 1 receiver, but the team has failed to get consistent production behind him.
Curtis Samuel was signed in free agency last year to give the passing game a boost, but he appeared in only five games, playing only 84 offensive snaps all season. He caught six passes for 27 yards in a disastrous first season in Washington.
The team is still holding out hope that Samuel can stay healthy and get back on track this season, providing the impact they were hoping he would in 2021. But, it wouldn’t hurt to continue adding more talent to the wide receiver position, which Austin Gayle of PFF believes they will do.
Gayle predicted the landing spots for some of the top wide receivers in this year’s draft class and he believes six will go in the first round. The Commanders land one of those six, selecting Garrett Wilson out of Ohio State.
The Commanders’ receiving corps will have a distinctly Buckeye flavor, as McLaurin and Samuel are both Ohio State products as well. Wilson would be a good complement to McLaurin and Samuel as he develops and irons out his game.
Wilson has some work to do when it comes to route running and technique, but there is no denying the athleticism that he possesses. In the early going, that athleticism will help overcome some of the shortcomings in other areas of his game.
Playing as the second or third option in an offense will enable him to play to his strengths in the early going in Washington before being asked to take on a larger role in the offense. Wilson will be a good target downfield for Wentz as he excels in making contested catches and bringing in 50/50 balls, which is aided by his basketball background.
