5. The organization is really excited about him.
The Commanders didn’t have a massive draft class, like they did in 2024, but they are excited about the value they got out of each player. That includes Lane, and assistant general manager Lance Newmark had high praise for the rookie.
“He is a guy that we were really excited about, organizationally, across the board,” Newmark said. “Just someone that we were really, really excited about. We had a vision for him, and he was the highest player on our board when we got to that point. It really was kind of a stressful wait from noon until whenever we finally picked because just a lot of stress and…hope that he was going to be there for us.”
The Commanders like players who give them options, and Lane fits that description. He was mostly viewed as a slot player in the draft process, but his speed and athleticism could be useful at any spot on the field. The Commanders hope that is the case, because he could be another chess piece for the offense once he develops.
“He just does a lot of great things,” Newmark said. “He really helped himself in the spring with his testing numbers. Really was explosive, ran really fast, jumped really high and far. Just a guy that we’re really excited about. He has a unique instinct with the ball in his hands. He’s got a nose for the sticks on first downs. He’s got a unique return skillset.”