Washington Commanders

Jayden Daniels

QB

Head coach Dan Quinn said he's pleased with Daniels' progress and has been impressed by his quarterback's processing speed. Blough is an internal promotion after two years as an assistant QBs coach under former OC Kliff Kingsbury, but it sounds like Blough has a different vision for Washington's offense, including less no-huddle and more snaps under center. Daniels reportedly has done well with the footwork while operating from under center, instead pointing to changes in terminology and offensive philosophy as the difficult aspects to master in a new offense. Blough has also mentioned, multiple times, wanting to get the ball to WR Terry McLaurin more often than the Commanders did in past years. That almost goes without saying, given the lack of other proven weapons amidst open competition for roles at WR and RB. The Commanders did at least sign TE Chig Okonkwo away from Tennessee to add some speed, and they've been connected with some of the veteran wideouts still available in free agency.

Rachaad White

RB

The Commanders also have Jacory Croskey-Merritt, Kaytron Allen, Jerome Ford and Jeremy McNichols competing for playing time, with Croskey-Merritt presumably being the other favorite to start. White easily has the most NFL experience of the group as both a rusher and pass catcher, but his efficiency on the ground was often a negative in Tampa Bay -- which is why he settled for a one-year, $2 million contract after piling up 4,106 yards from scrimmage and 25 TDs in four seasons. He's making a good impression with his new team and seems locked in for a Week 1 role, though it remains to be seen if White will get considerable rushing volume or be deployed more like a passing-down specialist.

Jacory Croskey-Merritt

RB

Croskey-Merritt missed time during the Commanders' voluntary OTAs due to an unspecified soft-tissue injury. However, the running back returned to the field Tuesday and looking healthy in the process, per Zach Selby of the team's official site. Now that he's back in the mix, Croskey-Merritt -- who logged a team-high 805 rushing yards on 175 carries and nine catches for 68 yards in 17 regular-season games in 2025 -- will look to solidify his key role in a crowded Washington backfield that also includes Rachaad White, Kaytron Allen, Jerome Ford and Jeremy McNichols

Sam Cosmi

G

Cosmi was placed on injured reserve in late December with a concussion. The guard's presence at OTAs shows he's back to full health and ready to start the season at right guard as expected.

Jerome Ford

RB

Jacory Croskey-Merritt, on the other hand, has been absent from recent practices with a soft-tissue injury. It sounds like Rachaad White has been getting a lot of the first-team snaps, but Ford is also getting some work alongside QB Jayden Daniels. While not necessarily a standout in either role, Ford theoretically could fill in for either Croskey-Merritt on early downs or White on passing downs. However, Ford got only $437,500 guaranteed on his one-year, $1.4 million contract, leaving him at risk of missing out on the Week 1 roster if things don't go well this summer. The Commanders also have sixth-round pick Kaytron Allen and 30-year-old Jeremy McNichols competing for roster spots. There's been no hint of trouble with the shoulder injury that ended Ford's 2025 campaign in Cleveland.

Trey Amos

CB

Amos is present, but rather than drilling with the team, he's still rehabbing from the fractured fibula he suffered back in Week 10 of the 2025 campaign. There is still no concrete timeline for his full return to football activities, and in the meantime, veteran Antonio Hamilton could see increased work on the boundary with the first team.

Anthony Firkser

TE

Firkser is now joining his fourth different team in three years with offseason workouts underway in Washington. It seems likely at this point that free-agent acquisition Chig Okonkwo, in-line specialist John Bates and 2024 second-rounder Ben Sinnott will make the Commanders' 53-man roster for 2026, so Firkser's path to a roster spot is relatively narrow.

Jaylin Lane

WR

The 24-year-old from Virginia Tech was sidelined for Washington's final two games last season due to an ankle injury, but his participation in Wednesday's practice suggests he's moved past the issue. Lane had an impressive rookie campaign, catching 16 of 32 targets for 225 yards while accumulating 314 punt-return yards and two touchdowns. Now back at full health, he's expected to operate as one of the Commanders' top return men during the 2026 season.

Luke McCaffrey

WR

McCaffrey's second NFL season was cut short in Week 9 of last year when he suffered a broken collarbone. After the Commanders let Deebo Samuel walk in free agency and selected Antonio Williams in the third round of the 2026 Draft, McCaffrey will be jockeying for positioning in Washington's wideout room behind clear WR1 Terry McLaurin. Along with McCaffrey and Williams, the Commanders also have Treylon Burks, Dyami Brown, Jaylin Lane and Van Jefferson as candidates for playing time.

Antonio Hamilton Sr.

CB

Hamilton played 15 games for the Commanders in 2025, totaling 18 tackles (12 solo) and two passes defensed. The cornerback was a consistent special teams contributor who was also called upon as a defensive depth piece late in the season. His consistency and versatility have earned him another year with the Commanders as the team looks to contend for the NFC East title.

Drew Stevens

PK

Stevens joins the Commanders after a successful four-year career at Iowa. As a senior, Stevens hit 22 of 28 field-goal attempts (78.6 percent), including four of six tries from beyond 50 yards while adding a career-long of 58 yards. Despite average collegiate statistics, there's some opportunity in Washington, as Jake Moody is currently his only competition for the starting job. Moody spent time with three teams last season and connected on 19 of 23 field-goal tries (82.6 percent) through nine games.

Chris Hilton Jr.

WR

Hilton was a four-star recruit in LSU's 2021 class alongside Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas, but his career never took off, partly due to injuries. The 23-year-old wide receiver never posted more than 243 receiving yards in a season through five years at LSU. Still, Hilton ran a 4.41 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine, so he could at least make some noise on special teams en route to a potential roster spot.

Jaden Bradley

WR

After failing to eclipse the 200-yard mark through his first four collegiate seasons, Bradley broke out as a fifth-year senior at UNLV, catching 58 passes for 931 yards and four touchdowns over 14 games. At 6-foot-4, 195 pounds, Bradley has some intriguing range despite running a modest 4.57 40-yard dash at his pro day. Bradley likely needs to make an impact on special teams to secure a spot on the Commanders' 53-man roster.

Athan Kaliakmanis

QB

Kaliakmanis was a full-time starter at Minnesota in 2023 before transferring to Rutgers for his final two seasons. As a fifth-year senior, Kaliakmanis completed 52 percent of his passes for 3,124 yards, 20 touchdowns and seven interceptions while connecting on 28 passes for 20-plus yards. He didn't add much with his legs and likely won't in the NFL after running a 4.92 40-yard dash at his pro day. Still, Kaliakmanis has a good enough arm to give him a strong chance to earn the No. 3 quarterback job behind Jayden Daniels (elbow) and Marcus Mariota.

Matt Gulbin

C

Gulbin (6-foot-4, 305 pounds) started at center for Michigan State in 2025 but started at guard for the two years prior at Wake Forest. Gulbin is a poor athlete by interior lineman standards and has poor reach (31 and 3/4-inch arms), so he projects as a career backup despite his quality collegiate play at Michigan State and Wake Forest over the last three years.

Kaytron Allen

RB

Allen spent his entire four-year college career at Penn State, and he mostly served in a committee with Nicholas Singleton before emerging as the Nittany Lions' lead rusher in 2025. Allen was named to both the All-Big Ten First-Team and All-American Second Team last year, when he turned 210 carries into 1,303 yards (6.2 YPC) and 15 touchdowns while adding 18 catches for 68 yards across 12 games. He is a powerful runner that gets better as the game progresses, and while he doesn't have blazing speed, he has the vision, patience and strength to grind out yards. The Commanders will likely take the committee approach to their backfield under new offensive coordinator David Blough, though Allen will have the opportunity to emerge with a role, with his competition for snaps coming from Jacory Croskey-Merritt, Rachaad White, Jerome Ford and Jeremy McNichols.

Joshua Josephs

LB

Josephs spent his entire four-year college career in Tennessee and was a full-time starter in 2025, when he posted 33 total tackles, including 4.0 sacks, three forced fumbles and three pass defenses across 11 games. He explodes off the jump and brings the physicality needed to compete against offensive linemen in the NFL, especially when attempting to beat the opposing man round the corner, but his tendency to act first before reading blocks or play design will need to be cleaned up. Josephs figures to serve in a rotational role at edge behind Odafe Oweh and K'Lavon Chaisson.

Antonio Williams

WR

Williams primarily operated as an inside receiver during his four-year college career at Clemson. He was limited to just 10 games during his senior year due to a hamstring injury, but his 2024 campaign was his best, when he was named to the All-ACC First-Team with 75 catches for 904 yards and 11 touchdowns over 14 games, though he also recorded eight drops. Williams was one of the speedier receivers available in the draft, which translates to all three levels of the field, and he also has experience as a punt returner which could help him with his snap count as a rookie. Terry McLaurin leads the Commanders' wide receiver room, but with a strong offseason and training camp, Williams has a chance to win the WR2 job, considering his main competition comes from Luke McCaffrey (collarbone), Treylon Burks and Dyami Brown at the moment.

Sonny Styles

LB

Styles (6-foot-5, 244 pounds) is a remarkable athlete even by Ohio State standards, boasting a frame massive by linebacker standards yet the easy, gliding athleticism of a cornerback (4.46-second 40-yard dash, 43.5-inch vertical jump). He might be a slight tweener in that he looks like a brute yet plays a game closer to a finesse style type, but there is almost certainly plenty of ways Styles can help the Washington defense. Styles has a history of playing both safety and linebacker, which highlights his rare upside in coverage especially. The versatile defender can probably offer the Commanders quality reps from linebacker, rover and even nickel corner spots.

D.J. Davidson

DT

Davidson handled a depth role along the interior of the Giants' defensive line across 15 regular-season appearances in 2025, totaling nine tackles (six solo) and one pass defensed. He appears to have recovered from the neck injury that caused him to miss Week 17 and Week 18.

Ahkello Witherspoon

CB

Witherspoon will join the team after visiting Washington on Thursday. He evidently showed during the visit that the shoulder injury which landed Witherspoon on IR to finish his tenure with the Rams is no longer bothering the cornerback. Commanders GM Adam Peters was part of San Francisco's front office when the 49ers drafted Witherspoon in 2017.

Jeremy McNichols

RB

McNichols played a key role on special teams while also handling a change-of-pace role for Washington last season, rushing 44 times for 221 yards and a score in addition to securing 25 of 31 targets for 196 yards across 17 regular-season appearances. He projects more realistically for a pure depth role in 2026, however, after the Commanders brought in a pair of capable pass catches in the form of Rachaad White and Jerome Ford (shoulder) to contribute alongside returning ballcarrier Jacory Croskey-Merritt.

Chris Paul

G

Paul was selected by the Commanders in the seventh round of the 2022 NFL Draft. He started in eight games over the first three years of his NFL career but started at left guard in 15 of 17 regular-season games in 2025. Paul appears likely to retain his starting spot for the 2026 campaign.

Van Jefferson

WR

Jefferson finished the 2025 regular season with the Titans on injured reserve due to a forearm injury, but he looks to have recovered. Prior to that injury, the six-year NFL veteran recorded 350 receiving yards in 16 games. Jefferson had 802 regular-season receiving yards back in 2021 with the Rams but hasn't topped 369 in any of his other five campaigns, which suggests he's likely ticketed for a depth role in Washington.

Dyami Brown

WR

Brown spent his first four seasons in Washington, recording 59 catches for 784 yards and four touchdowns across 63 regular-season games. After posting a 227-yard regular season with the Jaguars in 2025, Brown will rejoin the Commanders, who have a wide open depth chart at wide receiver behind Terry McLaurin.