The Washington Commanders have surprisingly sent Jahan Dotson to division rival Philadelphia. One player who benefited greatly from this trade was Luke McCaffrey, whom the Commanders selected in the third round of this year’s draft.

McCaffrey had previously spent time working out with the reserve and third-rounders during the first two preseason games, and that made sense considering he was a third-round rookie. Now that Dotson is headed to the City of Brotherly Love, it seems McCaffrey could move up the rankings.

Lynnell Willingham tweeted during Thursday’s practice that the Commanders’ rookie wide receiver would play with the starters as the WR3. While Willingham noted that the Commanders rotate, this is great news for McCaffrey as he looks to make a positive impression as a rookie.

What we know for sure about the Commanders’ wide receiver room is that Terry McLaurin is WR1, and that’s not up for debate. The other starting options on OurLad’s depth chart are Dyami Brown and Olamide Zaccheaus. McCaffrey is listed as the backup behind Brown.

Before being drafted by Washington, McCaffrey played the first two years of his college career as a quarterback for Nebraska. He transferred to Rice for the 2021 season and played quarterback for one year before switching to wide receiver for his final two years of college.

McCaffrey rushed for nearly 1,000 yards and 13 touchdowns in his final season at Rice, proving he could be a compelling weapon at the professional level. The Commanders agreed, spending a third-round pick on him and potentially giving him a chance to start as a rookie on the team.

In all likelihood, McCaffrey won’t be the team’s starter, but he has one more preseason game to show the coaching staff what he can do. Let’s hope he becomes a reliable weapon for rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels.