The second week of June means we are inching closer to NFL training camps at the end of July. This season, there are five former Virginia Tech players selected in the 2025 NFL Draft in Green Bay back in April. It would not be surprising to see some make an impact as early as this season..
One player who was picked at the beginning of Day 3 was former wide receiver Jaylin Lane, going to the Washington Commanders. There was some thought leading into the draft that Lane could have been a Day 2 pick, but he slid to Saturday, Day 3, and he could end up being a steal for the Commanders.
Former Virginia Tech WR Jaylin Lane listed as a top summer breakout player
Alex Ballentine of Bleacher Report listed one potential summer breakout player for each team, and Washington’s potential breakout player was Lane. It’s not surprising, as he will be returning punts and getting snaps at wide receiver.
"The Commanders brought in Deebo Samuel Sr., but there's still room for another receiver to emerge as part of the offense this summer. Noah Brown is a fairly niche receiver as the third option behind Terry McLaurin and Samuel. That's where third-round pick Jaylin Lane could wind up setting himself up for a successful rookie season. Lane is a burner who should at least capture the role of return man throughout preseason activities. But he also has the potential to become a part of the offense."
Washington has some very good wide receivers for quarterback Jayden Daniels, but it wouldn’t be surprising to see Lane come and push some of the veterans for snaps when all is said and done. As we saw when he was at Virginia Tech, getting the ball in his hands usually means big things are going to happen. That could be the case in the NFL as well. There was a reason why the Commanders were excited when he fell to them on Day 3 of the draft.