Jaylin Lane Fantasy Football Outlook (2025)

By Andrew Erickson (FantasyPros), Fri, May 23rd 2025, 2:20pm EDT

Jaylin Lane enters the NFL as a fourth-round pick by the Washington Commanders, initially expected to make his mark as the team's starting punt returner. But don't rule out a larger offensive role. With Terry McLaurin in the final year of his contract and Deebo Samuel on a one-year deal with an extensive injury history, Lane has a realistic path to becoming the starting slot receiver in Washington - especially with last year's third-round pick Luke McCaffrey failing to impress. Lane is a dynamic playmaker and elite athlete. Measuring in at 5-foot-10, 191 pounds, he ran a sub-4.4 40, jumped at least 11'0″ in the broad, and cleared 40″ in the vertical, making him one of just eight WRs to hit all three athletic benchmarks since 2003. He ranked 4th in the 2025 class in YAC per reception (8.5) and has over 100 career kick/punt returns, reinforcing his playmaking ability in space.