Commanders turn up heat on Luke McCaffrey with local prospect turned NFL star

The Washington Commanders aren’t as busy as most other teams during Day 3 of the 2025 NFL Draft. After selecting Oregon offensive tackle Josh Conerly Jr. in the first round (Pick No. 29) and Ole Miss cornerback Trey Amos in the second (Pick No. 61), Adam Peters and company are set to make only three selections (barring trades) in the final four rounds.

The first of those picks came at No. 128, late in the fourth round. It turns out, Washington would use it to select a player whose name may already be familiar to many in the D.C. area: Virginia Tech wide receiver Jaylin Lane.

Commanders drafting Jaylin Lane turns up the heat on Luke McCaffrey

Lane is a speedster who can stretch the field and create separation, and should have a chance to play an immediate role on the Commanders. With both Olamide Zaccheaus and Jamison Crowder not being retained by Washington, there is a need for a wideout possessing his distinct skillset. He’ll likely compete with 2024 third-round pick Luke McCaffrey for backup reps behind offseason acquisition Deebo Samuel Sr.

The recruit also seems likely to be featured in the special-teams game as a returner, just as he was at Virginia Tech. During his two seasons as a Hokie, he returned 29 punts for a total of 276 yards and a touchdown. From scrimmage, meanwhile, he caught 79 passes for 1,004 yards and eight scores, while additionally rushing for 167 yards and two trips to the end zone on 32 attempts.

Before transferring to the high-major level, Lane played for three seasons at Middle Tennessee between 2020 and 2022. Statistically speaking, his final season with the Blue Raiders was his most successful, albeit in a less competitive conference, when he caught 69 passes for 940 yards and five touchdowns.

Lane becomes the first player the Commanders have selected from Virginia Tech since 2018, when the team drafted both Tim Settle (Round 5, Pick No. 163) and Greg Stroman (Round 7, Pick No. 241). He’s the first Washington selection from any Virginia school since Liberty’s Antonio Gandy-Golden in 2020, in the fourth round at pick No. 142.

Given the lack of any traditional “football school” near the DMV, Virginia Tech can be largely considered the default college team for much of the D.C. area. For that reason, Lane should feel right at home in the burgundy and gold.

His explosive upside on the field could see Lane become a Commanders fan favorite if he pans out.