Can Jahan Dotson be the next Nelson Agholor for the all-in Eagles?

In 2017, Nelson Agholor, a talented but disappointing third-year, first-round receiver, caught 62 passes for 768 yards and eight touchdowns, then added 15 catches in the postseason, nine of them in Super Bowl LII, which his Eagles won.

Howie Roseman on Thursday traded for Jahan Dotson — a talented, disappointing, third-year, first-round receiver. Have the Eagles found Nelson Agholor, 2.0?

Maybe.

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In 2017, Agholor benefited from the presence of productive veterans Alshon Jeffery and Torrey Smith, along with tight end Zach Ertz, who had a breakout, Pro Bowl season.

In 2024, Dotson joins hyper-productive veterans A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith, along with tight end Dallas Goedert, who is due for a breakout season.

Don’t forget, after two pedestrian seasons, there were calls to trade Agholor before the 2017 campaign. Roseman ignored them. He knew:

One team’s garbage might be another team’s gold.

The Washington Commanders had soured on Dotson after drafting him 16th overall out of Penn State in 2022. So just what should the Eagles expect from a player who can’t survive a receivers corps in D.C. that currently features Olamide Zaccheaus, who caught just 10 passes for the Eagles last season and has 10 touchdowns in five years? After all, Dotson has 11 touchdowns in two seasons, and he wasn’t even playing alongside Brown and Smith.

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In Philly, Dotson won’t deal with the pressures of a first-round pick. He played alongside Terry McLaurin, a 1,000-yard WR1 the last four seasons, but he also ran with Curtis Samuel, who had been a multipurpose player along the lines of Deebo Samuel, one of the San Francisco 49ers’ three-level weapons. They are no relation, and, frankly, their effectiveness bears little relation, either.

Much was asked of Dotson, but he caught just 49 passes for 518 yards last season. Yawn.

Dotson should thrive in relative anonymity in Philly. Consider the arsenal.

He’ll be WR3 with Brown and Smith, both WR1s. He’ll be targeted less than Goedert, assuming Jalen Hurts properly uses Goedert (finally) this season. He’ll draw less attention than running back Saquon Barkley, whom Dotson followed at Penn State.

And he’ll be catching passes from Hurts, a veteran former Pro Bowl player, not Sam Howell, who led the NFL last season with 21 interceptions and 65 sacks. Further, Hurts’ ability to run amplifies every offensive player’s capacity to produce; safeties live in fear of Hurts, which means more space for receivers.

The capacity to produce doesn’t necessarily translate to production. Not unlike Agholor early in his career, Dotson drops passes.

Dotson’s drop percentage (a subjective stat) last season was 6.0%, far worse than the likes of Brown, Smith, or Goedert. He didn’t demonstrate particularly sticky fingers in the preseason, either, despite getting lots of playing time as the Commanders showcased him as a trade piece. Hurts is a reluctant thrower by nature. If Dotson can’t hang on to passes then Hurts won’t feed him, and the Eagles might as well have traded for Santana Dotson.

Last season Dotson spent about 40% of his time on the field playing the slot, which is good news for Brown, who spent about 25% of his time at slot last season. But if training camp was any indication, Brown seemed destined for more slot time in 2024. That might still be the case, but the Eagles now have a viable alternative.

They certainly didn’t have one before Thursday. Neither injured Parris Campbell, nor speedy John Ross, nor little Britain Covey, nor Johnny Wilson — an intriguing, 6-foot-6, 228-pound sixth-round rookie — came close to competence in the past few weeks.

Roseman & Co. witnessed firsthand Dotson’s finest hour. He caught a career-high eight passes for a career-high 108 yards and a touchdown on Oct. 29 last year against the Eagles. His Commanders lost, but it was a hell of an audition, if nothing else.

This is the latest move in Roseman’s obvious intent to win now at all costs. He used a third-round pick to snag a receiver from a division opponent who thought so little of that receiver that it allowed him to remain in the NFC East, where it will face him twice for at least the next two seasons. Dotson has two years left on his rookie deal, and the Eagles can exercise his fifth-year option.

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That’s three years of control.

Recently, star right tackle Lane Johnson said he’s likely to play no more than three more years. Barkley is signed for three years.

Offenses progress best with continuity. This trade not only adds depth, but also gives the Eagles relatively long-term control and, if they wish, continuity.

It’s been a while since they had a WR3 as talented as Agholor.

Now, they might have one for a while.

The Eagles play in their preseason finale against the Minnesota Vikings. Join Eagles beat reporters Olivia Reiner and EJ Smith as they dissect the hottest storylines surrounding the team on Gameday Central, live from Lincoln Financial Field.