The Washington Commanders added Deebo Samuel to the wide receiver room this offseason, giving quarterback Jayden Daniels another big-time weapon opposite Terry McLaurin. In addition to trading for Samuel, the Commanders also re-signed Noah Brown and K.J. Osborn and signed former Dallas Cowboy Michael Gallup. Brown was Washington’s second-leading receiver before a kidney injury ended his season in Week 13.

The Commanders also spent a fourth-round pick on wide receiver Jaylin Lane. While Lane is expected to be the primary punt returner immediately, he should factor into OC Kliff Kingsbury’s offensive plans.

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One player you shouldn’t forget about is second-year wideout Luke McCaffrey. A third-round pick from Rice one year ago, McCaffrey appeared in all 17 games, including four starts last season. However, McCaffrey finished the season with only 18 receptions for 168 yards. He played in 36% of Washington’s offensive snaps. Due to Austin Ekeler’s injury late in the season, McCaffrey took over as the Commanders’ kick returner and averaged almost 30 yards per return.

So, while it’s easy to focus on McLaurin, Samuel, Lane and others, you shouldn’t forget about McCaffrey. There are reasons to be excited about the son of former NFL star Ed McCaffrey and the younger brother of former MVP Christian McCaffrey.

At one point late last season, McCaffrey ranked fourth in the NFL in Pro Football Focus’ separation percentage metric.

So, why wasn’t he getting more targets? Some of it could be due to Daniels being more comfortable with veterans McLaurin and tight end Zach Ertz. Also, many don’t realize that the receiver position was still fairly new to McCaffrey. After beginning his career as a quarterback, McCaffrey moved to receiver for his final two seasons of college and excelled.

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McCaffrey had a strong offseason and is ready for an increased role in 2025.

“There’s a lot that goes into your rookie year, on and off the field,” McCaffrey said last week. “It’s nice this year just not to have to ask about everything.”

What did McCaffrey work on throughout the offseason?

“I worked on a lot, you know, the offseason, again, similar to the details of playing receiver, so long and so detailed that it would take probably too long to over all the intricate details.”

McCaffrey revealed he’d spent time this offseason training with his brother Christian.

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So, while all the attention is on McLaurin, Samuel, Ertz and others, don’t forget about McCaffrey. He’s a sneaky breakout candidate for the Commanders in 2025.

This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Could Commanders WR Luke McCaffrey have a breakout season in 2025?