Jahan Dotson trade: Ron Rivera's draft failures mount after Commanders deal with Eagles

The Commanders hoped they were bringing stability to their franchise when they hired Ron Rivera as their head coach during the 2020 offseason.

His presence brought some of that off the field, which was key amid a time of turmoil, as the team changed its name and owner Daniel Snyder sold the franchise.

But when it came to decisions about on-the-field matters, things didn't go as well. Rivera logged a 26-40-1 record during his four seasons in Washington. He never had a winning season despite leading the Commanders to the playoffs during his first season in 2020.

Rivera also had the final say over team personnel, and he made numerous questionable decisions in the NFL Draft.

The latest example of Rivera's issues in that role? The Commanders traded 2022 first-round pick Jahan Dotson and a 2025 fifth-round pick to their divisional rival, the Eagles, for 2025 third- and seventh-round picks.

Dotson was just one of Rivera's many draft failures, and his first-round record with the Commanders is particularly bad.

Below is a recap of the four players the team selected during Rivera's time in Washington and how they have fared since being drafted.

MORE: Full details of the Jahan Dotson trade for the Eagles, Commanders

Ron Rivera draft history with the Commanders

2020: Chase Young

The Commanders opted not to select a quarterback in the 2020 NFL Draft despite having the No. 2 pick at their disposal. The decision was sensible at the time, as the team had 2019 first-round pick Dwayne Haskins on the roster and, despite a rocky rookie season, planned to develop him as a starter.

In hindsight, passing on Tua Tagovailoa and Justin Herbert created a painful four-year stretch where the Commanders never found a true franchise quarterback. And while Young was the consensus top defensive player in the 2020 NFL Draft, he didn't quite pan out in Washington.

Young won the Defensive Rookie of the Year award in 2020 after logging 7.5 sacks as a rookie, but he struggled in the three ensuing seasons. He had trouble staying healthy and only recorded 6.5 sacks in 19 games before being traded to the 49ers for a third-round pick ahead of the 2023 NFL trade deadline.

2021: Jamin Davis

Rivera's staff continued to add to the defense during the 2021 NFL Draft, as the team spent its first-round pick on Jamin Davis. The Kentucky product was productive in college and scouts believed his athleticism would give him a high ceiling in the NFL.

Davis posted fine-looking counting stats for the Commanders, but he never developed into the true, three-down force the team had hoped for as a stand-up linebacker. Washington is now moving him into more of an edge rusher role to see if his athleticism can help him become a threatening pass rusher.

The better linebacker pick for the Commanders would have been Notre Dame's Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, who was mocked frequently to Washington before Davis' emergence during the pre-draft process.

Owusu-Koramoah fell to the second round and the Browns have reaped the rewards. He has become a Pro Bowl-level linebacker who excels in all facets of the game.

MORE: How Bo Nix won the Broncos' starting quarterback job for 2024

2022: Jahan Dotson

The Commanders traded Dotson to the Eagles on Thursday, which brought to an end his two-plus-year tenure in Washington.

Dotson looked like a potential breakout candidate entering his second season, as he recorded seven touchdowns on just 35 catches during his rookie season. However, he recorded fewer receiving yards in his second season as a starter despite recording 14 more catches for the team. His inability to win the No. 2 receiver job under new coach Dan Quinn and offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury led the team's new front office to sell low on the 24-year-old.

The most painful part of the Dotson selection? Washington originally owned the 11th pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. The Commanders traded that pick to the Saints who used it to select Ohio State receiver Chris Olave.

Olave began his NFL career with back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons. In fact, he recorded more receiving yards in each of his first two seasons than Dotson has during his NFL career combined. 

2023: Emmanuel Forbes

Forbes was Rivera's final first-round draft pick with the Commanders. He is still young and proving himself, but he allowed 16.3 yards per reception and a passer rating of 121.2 when targeted as a rookie, according to Pro Football Focus.

Forbes was benched at times as a rookie and is trending toward being a backup during his first season in Dan Quinn's defense. The 23-year-old still has potential, but he'll need to show he can stay on the field to earn the banner of being Rivera's best first-round pick.

For now, that honor may belong to Young; but either way, the veteran coach's first-round record in Washington isn't much to write home about.

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Ron Rivera's full draft history

Below is a look at each of the picks Rivera's front office made during his four drafts in charge of the Commanders:

2020

2021

2022

2023