Jaylin Lane could be the perfect Terry McLaurin replacement if needed

While Terry McLaurin’s contract dispute and trade request have been dominating headlines surrounding the Washington Commanders during training camp, rookie wide receiver Jaylin Lane has quietly been making a name for himself.

As a fourth-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, expectations around Lane weren’t anything crazy heading into his first season at the NFL level.

A combination of McLaurin’s potential to leave has coincided with Lane building a strong rapport with Jayden Daniels to create the perfect storm for the rookie to potentially be thrust into the spotlight.

McLaurin’s ability to create separation down the field and make acrobatic catches have been a big reason for his success throughout his career to this point, and so far for Lane, the same skills have been on display.

Each player’s 40-yard dash times at the combine were within a hundredth of a second (4.35 for McLaurin and 4.34 for Lane), and Lane showed his spectacular catch ability with one of the most impressive highlights from training camp thus far on July 27.

y'all see that Jaylin Lane catch??? pic.twitter.com/yFj6ZDI8Vt

— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) July 27, 2025

Flashy plays will catch the attention of anyone at practice, but Lane’s intangibles and willingness to be coachable have been what’s really impressed offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury and the rest of the coaching staff.

“[Lane’s] been very impressive,” Kingsbury said. “He’s a coach’s kid, been around the game his entire life, and if you tell him how to do it one time, he usually nails it, and then if he makes a mistake, he’ll come back and get it corrected, but super, super talented, very fast. I’ve been really impressed.”

If McLaurin does get traded, the Commanders’ wide receiver room would need someone to step up as a deep threat, and someone who can be a main target for Daniels.

Lane showed during his time in college that he’s capable of filling that role, and is doing everything he can now to be ready if the opportunity presents itself.