The Dallas Cowboys’ secondary has been nothing short of a disaster through six weeks in 2025. What was once billed as one of the premier defensive secondaries in football now looks disorganized, undisciplined, and downright exploitable.
DaRon Bland, Trevon Diggs, Kaiir Elam, Donovan Wilson, and Juanyeh Thomas have all taken turns getting torched. Dallas has allowed 371 yards passing a game at home, but the most significant loss might not even be on the field — it’s on the sidelines.
When veteran defensive backs coach Al Harris left for the Chicago Bears this offseason, Dallas lost its stabilizing voice. What’s left is a unit without technique, eye discipline, or cohesion in either man or zone.
And now, they’re about to face one of the NFL’s most exciting young quarterbacks in Jayden Daniels — and a potential ascending weapon who’s due for a breakout.
Enter rookie wide receiver Jaylin Lane.
Commanders should feature Jaylin Lane heavily against the Cowboys
The Washington Commanders' fourth-round pick hasn’t had the volume box score watchers crave — just seven catches on 14 targets with no touchdowns through six games. But don’t let that stat line fool you. Lane has already flashed the explosive traits that made Adam Peters draft him as a multi-phase weapon.
He’s already taken a punt to the house. Lane accelerates like he’s been shot out of a cannon. And stylistically, he carries shades of Deebo Samuel Sr. He is a fearless, tackle-breaking playmaker who turns short touches into chunk gains.
In Week 7, he may finally have his window.
The Commanders’ receiving corps is battered, bruised, and, bottom line, the cupboard for talent is becoming more sparse as the weeks continue. Terry McLaurin remains sidelined. Samuel is battling a heel injury and remains uncertain. Luke McCaffrey has emerged as a fun, high-energy option, but he’s more of a downfield shot-play specialist than an actual volume target. Zach Ertz is a crafty veteran, but he’s not changing defensive game plans at this stage of his career.
Beyond that? Crickets…. unless you believe rookie Ja'Corey Brooks or recent signee Treylon Burks could be an impact player. That leaves someone — anyone — to step into a legitimate role as a featured playmaker. And the most logical candidate is Lane at this stage in the campaign.
Daniels already trusts him as a gadget weapon. What he’s lacked so far is a consistent offensive opportunity.
This may be the week Washington unleashes him as more than a motion decoy, jet sweep option, or occasional vertical threat. Against a Cowboys defense that can’t tackle in space, struggles to pass off crossers, and has shown no ability to rally and contain twitchy receivers underneath, Lane’s skill set is tailor-made for chaos.
The Commanders don’t need to pepper him with 10 targets to make him impactful. One play could flip a drive. One broken tackle could flip the entire game. But why not give yourself more shots at the proverbial dart board to allow him to create chunk plays?
Dallas has allowed explosive plays to far less dynamic receivers this season. They’ve blown coverages, taken poor angles, and lost leverage across every formation.
For Washington, they'd be silly not to test that repeatedly with one of the most sudden players on their roster.
In a pivotal NFC East matchup with Washington seeking to start 2–0 in the division, expect Daniels to lean on the players he trusts to make instant offense. With the veteran stars around him either missing or hobbled, Lane isn’t just the next man up — he might be the spark that swings Week 7.