Coming off the 2018-2019 season, it was no secret that Washington needed help at the wide receiver position. They had arguably the worst unit of receivers in the league. In fact, TE Jordan Reed led the team in receiving last season with only 552 yards. Former first-round pick, Josh Doctson, underperformed for yet another season, so the team knew this area had to be addressed through free agency and the draft.

After selecting Dwayne Haskins in the first round of the 2019 draft, Dan Snyder and co. decided to draft his favorite receiver and No. 1 target at Ohio State, Terry McLaurin. McLaurin put up 35 receptions, 701 yards, and 12 touchdowns, so his early success in the league isn’t out of the blue. To add, he ran a 4.35-second 40-yard dash at the 2019 NFL Combine. Throughout training camp, there was a lot of buzz about “Scary Terry” and how talented he is. He even impressed Head Coach Jay Gruden who said, “He’s just been outstanding in all phases.” This observation is absolutely correct.

It’s always interesting to listen to Terry McLaurin talk about football. Hes in the locker room now talking about the concept of ‘not always running 100 mph” and having “ the illusion of speed.” — Les Carpenter (@Lescarpenter) September 16, 2019

At his NFL debut against the Eagles, McLaurin was put to the test and definitely rose to the occasion with five catches, 125 yards, and one touchdown. His performance leads me to believe McLaurin will be the premier wide receiver on the team this season. McLaurin has taken over the X role in offense, meaning he will be playing on the outside. The guy has great chemistry with Case already, so look for more long bombs sent toward “Scary Terry.”

Terry McLaurin is a football coach’s dream. Plays hard. A lot of talent. Says all the right things and they seem truly genuine. Impressive young man. — JP Finlay (@JPFinlayNBCS) September 16, 2019

McLaurin is one of the few bright lights on this Washington football team. Starting the season, we had lost both games to division foes, but he played quite well anyway. McLaurin was Keenum’s No. 1 option and has lived up to all expectations with 10 receptions for 187 yards and two touchdowns. One of the reasons he has had so much success on the field is that he continually beats single coverage, he has been targeted on deep balls —20 yards or more — four times already this season, and could’ve added two more if the balls had been passed better. Look out for more McLaurin touchdowns as the season progresses. Welcome to Washington, Scary Terry!

