Commanders’ 53-man roster projection: Who is on the bubble as training camp heats up?

Washington is over halfway through training camp, and the evaluations are nearing an end.

The Commanders have two preseason games remaining, one in Detroit and another in Baltimore, before finalizing their 53-man roster. Head coach Dan Quinn said this week will be the most intensive of camp, with three practices and a game.

Here is our projection of the opening day roster as we enter the final two weeks of camp.

Offense

After last year’s 5-12 campaign, general manager Adam Peters made a flurry of one-year deals to try to bolster his skill positions. He signed wide receivers Dyami Brown, Van Jefferson and Treylon Burks. He re-signed running back Jeremy McNichols on a small salary. He drafted more playmakers such as Kaytron Allen and Antonio Williams.

On paper, refreshing the depth made sense. But Washington can’t take all of those players on the opening day roster. Not to mention, Peters made his most splashy signing of the offseason last week when he brought in wide receiver Stefon Diggs on a one-year, $12 million deal.

So what will Washington do?

Well, to make room for some of the skill position players, it could start by carrying one fewer quarterback. The Commanders have traditionally kept three, but this year there isn’t a clear third anyway. Sam Hartman and Athan Kaliakmanis haven’t exactly made a strong case to be on the team. Besides, both would likely clear waivers and land on the practice squad if Washington wants them.

That would allow the Commanders to take six, or even seven, wide receivers. Last year they went with five. It also could let them take more tight ends. In this offense, new coordinator David Blough wants to use heavy tight end sets. Plus, one of the darlings of training camp has been Colson Yankoff. His pass-catching ability feels like the perfect fit for Blough’s scheme. It will be tough to keep him off the roster.

One battle to continue monitoring is running back. The top of the room is set with Jacory Croskey-Merritt and Rachaad White. But Allen, Robert Henry Jr. and McNichols are fighting for the last two spots. McNichols is a veteran and a plus pass blocker. But he is dealing with an injury. Ford looked shifty in Washington’s first preseason game against Miami. For that reason, I slotted him as the fourth back in this projection.

Quarterbacks (2)

Jayden Daniels, Marcus Mariota

Notes: Mariota has a strained MCL that will keep him out the remainder of the preseason. Washington hopes to get him back for the opener in Philadelphia.

Running backs (4)

Jacory Croskey-Merritt, Rachaad White, Robert Henry Jr., Kaytron Allen

Notes: McNichols will miss several weeks with a quadriceps injury. On paper, Washington will miss his ability to pass block. But Quinn said he was pleased with Henry’s help in pass protection against Miami. If he can keep that up, he could be a valuable addition to the run game.

Wide receivers (6)

Terry McLaurin, Stefon Diggs, Treylon Burks, Luke McCaffrey, Jaylin Lane, Antonio Williams

Notes: Dyami Brown and Van Jefferson are not on the projection right now. Maybe Washington takes one more receiver. If that were the case, I’d lean Brown at the moment. But these six receivers give Washington a mix of guys who can play outside and inside. McLaurin and Burks should man the outside, with McCaffrey and Diggs in the slot. Diggs can also play outside. Whatever Washington gets out of Lane and Williams is a bonus, because Lane is a special teams ace and Williams is a rookie. With the pass-catching ability of the tight ends, I leaned six receivers instead of seven.

Tight ends (4)

Chig Okonkwo, Colson Yankoff, John Bates, Ben Sinnott

Notes: Lawrence Cager is the odd man out, but it is hard not to have Yankoff on the roster. He has been one of Washington’s best playmakers in camp and stands out on special teams. Still, I think Cager has played well in camp. He just hasn’t had as many moments as Yankoff.

Offensive line (9)

Nick Allegretti, Brandon Coleman, Chris Paul, Josh Conerly Jr., Sam Cosmi, Julian Good-Jones, Andrew Wylie, Trent Scott, Matt Gulbin

Notes: This group took a massive hit when Laremy Tunsil went out with a torn triceps muscle. Coleman moved to left tackle, where he played in 2024, but it is a thin group in terms of depth.

Defense

New defensive coordinator Darante Jones wants to play an aggressive style, bringing pressure from all levels. He also likes to call defenses that are heavy on safeties, sometimes employing three at a time.

With that in mind, it could be important to look at the roster distribution. Does Washington lean more on safeties than it does in a normal year?

A position to watch is the interior defensive line. Jer’Zhan Newton is a former draft pick by Washington, but he struggled again in the preseason opener. Does that crack the door open for someone else at that spot?

Interior defensive line (4)

Javon Kinlaw, Daron Payne, Tim Settle Jr., Jer’Zhan Newton

Notes: Ricky Barber was Washington’s highest-graded defensive player against Miami, according to Pro Football Focus. And, with Newton underwhelming, you could see him trying to break into the 53-man roster. But Newton was a second-round pick in 2024 and will get more opportunities to play his way onto the roster. Barber could easily be on the wrong end of a numbers crunch.

Outside linebackers/edge (6)

Odafe Oweh, Dorance Armstrong, Deatrich Wise, K’Lavon Chaisson, Charles Omenihu, Joshua Josephs

Notes: Washington spent big money to get Oweh on a $100 million deal. With him, Chaisson and the rest of this group, it is banking on getting more pressure on the quarterback. Josephs, a fifth-round pick, is in a battle with Javontae Jean-Baptiste. Washington could keep both.

Inside linebackers (5)

Sonny Styles, Leo Chenal, Frankie Luvu, Jordan Magee, Kain Medrano

Notes: Medrano isn’t a lock. The Commanders might not carry five inside linebackers. Maybe they take one more edge rusher in Jean-Baptiste. But Medrano played well against Miami, nearly had an interception, so I gave him the edge. He also contributes on special teams.

Corners (5)

Trey Amos, Mike Sainristil, Amik Robertson, Rasul Douglas, Fabian Moreau

Notes: Antonio Hamilton Sr. was on the wrong end of a highlight-reel catch against the Dolphins. Will he be on the wrong end of the roster cuts? That remains to be seen. Washington did just bring in Moreau, a draft pick from 2017, during training camp. He had a good showing in his preseason debut, the highest-graded corner on PFF.

Safeties (5)

Nick Cross, Will Harris, Quan Martin, Jeremy Reaves, Tyler Owens

Notes: Owens is fighting for the last spot with Percy Butler. Both have taken important roles on special teams, according to Quinn. I gave Owens the edge after Friday’s game.

Special teams (3)

Drew Stevens (K), Tress Way (P), Tyler Ott (LS)

Notes: Jake Moody has been the talk of training camp for the wrong reasons. He’s missed over 10 kicks in the last week. Stevens has a better leg, and he’s been more reliable. I think he has the edge in the kicking battle right now. But it is ongoing.