Penn State senior wide receiver Jahan Dotson doesn’t have the hype that some wide receivers in the nation, but according to ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr., he’s the early top-ranked wide receiver for the 2022 NFL Draft.
A four-star recruit out of Nazareth, Pennsylvania out of high school, Dotson has improved each season in Happy Valley under head coach James Franklin.
My top-ranked wide receivers in the 2022 NFL draft. It's a loaded class. https://t.co/GbG7MYQvnV pic.twitter.com/QYnKjRKGxT
— Mel Kiper Jr. (@MelKiperESPN) September 30, 2021
After recording 52 receptions for 884 yards and eight touchdowns last season, Dotson has followed up with 27 receptions for 362 yards and four touchdowns through four games this season. In his Nittany Lions career, he’s racked up 119 receptions for 1,937 yards and 17 touchdowns in 34 games.
Previously unranked on Kiper’s big board, he’s risen to the eighth on his Top 25 prospect list. Here’s what Kiper wrote about him:
“Dotson is an explosive wideout having a great season. Look how open he is on this 49-yard touchdown against Wisconsin. And check out Penn State’s first offensive play against Villanova, a 52-yard strike to Dotson in which he showed acceleration at the catch. He isn’t catching many screens and short routes — his average air yards per target is 12.2 yards, which is consistent with his four-year career at Penn State. He can break tackles after the catch. While Dotson had a few drops in 2019 and 2020, he hasn’t dropped any of his 35 targets this season. He’s on pace for a spectacular season.”
With a matchup against an Indiana secondary that has allowed the second-most passing yards per game in the Big 10 this season, look for another big night against the Hoosiers this Saturday.
