There's no question how valuable Terry McLaurin is to the Washington Commanders. We saw it firsthand in 2025, when McLaurin, for the first time in his career, missed significant time. He had previously missed only three games in six seasons, but missed seven in 2025. The Commanders struggled to get production from their wide receivers and the offense sputtered with McLaurin and quarterback Jayden Daniels in and out of the lineup.
McLaurin is also proof that not all No. 1 receivers are drafted in the first round. McLaurin was a third-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, No. 76 overall. Despite playing with numerous quarterbacks over the years, McLaurin developed into one of the NFL's best receivers, earning two lucrative contract extensions from the Commanders.
How valuable is McLaurin? Pro Football Focus recently ranked the 20 most valuable non-first-round picks since 2016. McLaurin made the list, coming in at No. 17.
The lone consistent force on Washington’s offense for a considerable period, McLaurin has haunted defensive coordinators throughout the bulk of his career.
Since 2019, the Ohio State alum is eighth in WAR at the position, and his 91.0 PFF receiving grade sits 14th. While his game is well-rounded, McLaurin’s best ******* et could be his contested catch ability — where he leads the league with 114 since 2019.