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The Washington Commanders will enter training camp on the heels of an offseason devoted to rebuilding key areas of the roster. It was not constructed with an easy cutdown day in mind, as Washington looked to improve in areas that held the team back in 2025.
That said, here is our first 53-man roster projection just days before training camp opens.
Quarterback (2)
Jayden Daniels, Marcus Mariota
This position is set with Washington. While there are no roster battles between Jayden Daniels and Marcus Mariota, one may exist behind them with seventh-round draft pick Athan Kaliakmanis and Sam Hartman. If the team decides to keep a developmental quarterback, the winner of the competition would likely see the practice squad.
Running Back (4)
Jacory "Bill" Croskey-Merritt, Rachaad White, Jeremy McNichols, Kaytron Allen
The running back spot is a hard one to call going into training camp, but not in the way you might think. The real competition is among the top three with Bill Croskey-Merritt, Rachaad White, and Kaytron Allen all gunning for the main role. The thing is, a committee approach would actually be the better play for the team unless Bill breaks out into an every-down back who can make plays in the passing game consistently.
White has the perfect skill set to be a highly effective third-down back. He has 4,106 yards from scrimmage and 25 touchdowns in his four years in the league, including 1,405 receiving yards on 205 receptions out of the backfield.
Kaytron Allen turned heads at OTAs, but he will have to keep working to keep that attention once the pads come out. Jeremy McNichols has gained the respect of the staff enough to get another contract. If the team keeps four, he is in the driver's seat to be the last on the roster.
Wide Receiver (6)
Terry McLaurin, Luke McCaffrey, Treylon Burks, Antonio Williams, Jaylin Lane, Dyami Brown
The storyline that has crowded this position all offseason has been who will play WR2 if they do not bring Deebo Samuel back. Since camp is days away and the team has not signed anyone, we have to assume they will attempt to find what they are looking for within the current roster.
If that is the case, there is a literal logjam with Luke McCaffrey, Treylon Burks, Dyami Brown, and Van Jefferson all standing in the same place in line. Then, not very far behind them, you will find Antonio Williams and Jaylin Lane, who the world has always said were only slot receivers. Calling the bottom of this list is hard, but it will come down to Brown or Jefferson. UDFA Jaden Bradley could make things interesting, but ultimately will likely have to find his way onto the roster via the practice squad.
Tight End (4)
Chigoziem Okonkwo, John Bates, Ben Sinnott, Colson Yankoff
The tight end position is an intriguing spot for Washington. Signing Chig Okonkwo in the offseason adds another layer to the offense. Okonkwo did not miss a game during his time in Tennessee and had 194 receptions for 2,017 yards and eight touchdowns in 68 games, despite being criminally underused.
John Bates should be a massive fit in what new offensive coordinator David Blough is trying to accomplish on offense. He is a perfect fit for a play-action offense, with the right amount of blocking ability and low-key receiving skills that will make defenses forget about him, making big packages more deadly.
Ben Sinnott is at a turning point in his career. The Commanders spent a second-rounder on him. It is time to see something emerge from this developmental project that was compared to a Swiss Army knife not long ago. As of now, he has shown great blocking ability but needs to be used more on offense before we can get a clearer sense of what he brings overall.
Colson Yankoff and Lawrence Cager may have a bit of a roster battle at the bottom of the room that might be worthy of paying attention to.
Guard (3)
Samuel Cosmi, Chris Paul, Brandon Coleman
While right guard is locked down by Sam Cosmi, the left side is not yet decided. Chris Paul and Brandon Coleman are locked into a roster battle that could rage on well into the preseason.
The two were locked in the same battle last year, with Coleman eventually winning and starting the season on the first team. By Week 3, Paul had replaced him among the starters after a shoulder injury forced Coleman to the sidelines in Week 2.
When OTAs were in session back in the spring, it was Coleman who got most of the first-team reps.
Tackle (4)
Laremy Tunsil, Josh Conerly Jr, Andrew Wylie, Trent Scott
The tackle position is set on both sides this season heading into camp as Laremy Tunsil and Josh Conerly Jr. get ready for their second seasons in the burgundy and gold.
Center (2)
Nick Allegretti, Matt Gulbin
In a perfect world, Matt Gulbin shows up to camp ready to hit the ground running and pushes Nick Allegretti to his limits. With the center responsible for starting every offensive snap, the coaching staff needs to know whether Allegretti can handle the full-time move before settling in for a long season.
Gulbin played at guard at Wake Forest and center at Michigan State in college before Washington used a sixth-round pick on him. He is not the most athletic guy on the field, but he had some success along the interior over the last few years.
Edge Rusher (4)
Odafe Oweh, K'Lavon Chaisson, Dorance Armstrong, Joshua Josephs
This is where new defensive coordinator Daronte Jones will forge his reputation. This position group, with its aggressive rotation, and the one listed below it.
Odafe Oweh will be looking to prove his value after signing a four-year, $100 million contract with $68 million in guarantees. Clearly a lot, but with 30.5 career sacks, he is ready to show everyone what a full season of starting opportunities will do for his production.
K'Lavon Chaisson and Dorance Armstrong are in similar, but separate situations. Chaisson had high expectations coming out of college, but it took a few years for his production to match them until last season. Armstrong was off to the best start of any pass-rusher in the NFL before getting injured last season. Both of them are facing free agency next spring and will be looking to prove the last time they were on the field was no fluke.
Joshua Josephs has extremely long arms but needs time to polish his game. The odd man out here is Deatrich Wise Jr.
Defensive Tackle (5)
Daron Payne, Javon Kinlaw, Tim Settle, Jer’Zhan Newton, Charles Omenihu
Charles Omenihu can play several spots along the defensive line; he and Tim Settle are the only new faces in this room. Although Settle has been in this locker room before, it was under a different regime. At any rate, the staff is expecting big things from Jer'Zhan (Johnny) Newton and Daron Payne in 2026.
Javon Kinlaw has yet to deliver on what he was brought in for, but will get another chance to show his worth in 2026 as well.
Linebacker (6)
Sonny Styles, Frankie Luvu, Leo Chenal, Jordan Magee, Kain Medrano, Nick Bellore
For years, the linebacker position was neglected in Washington. Thankfully, those days are coming to an end, as the room saw two significant additions this offseason in former Chiefs LB Leo Chenal and Ohio State Buckeye Sonny Styles.
This position should offer plenty of competition with Jordan Magee and Kain Medrano battling it out with special teams ace Nick Bellore and Ale Kaho. At 37, Bellore might feel a little heat from the roster math this season if other sections of the roster are in need.
It was not that long ago that Magee was being viewed as a developmental prospect. It will be interesting to see whether his progression is corralled into the special teams lane.
Cornerback (5)
Trey Amos, Rasul Douglas, Mike Sainristil, Amik Robertson, Ahkello Witherspoon
This room looked really thin until the team recently signed Rasul Douglas. With the addition of Douglas, now a battle on the outside that includes Mike Sainristil, Amik Robertson, and Ahkello Witherspoon no longer looks so suspect.
If Douglas outright wins the outside role, which he certainly was brought in to do, that will actually help Sainristil by defining his role more. Robertson is a lot tougher than most who are learning his name think. Give him time.
Safety (5)
Nick Cross, Quan Martin, Will Harris, Jeremy Reaves, Percy Butler
The safety room is improved; we will have to wait and see just how far it has come this offseason. But after adding Nick Cross, the backend should have a noticeably different feel this fall. He is a guy who likes to crowd the line of scrimmage up in the box, but can do other things with that 4.34 speed that will give opposing quarterbacks nightmares.
Daronte Jones will find that Quan Martin is a prime candidate for big nickel packages, which would allow Washington to put a third safety on the field. Martin struggled in 2025 when more was asked of him; having Will Harris for all 17 games would go a long way.
While Jeremy Reaves is no longer a hidden gem, he is still a player who brings value to a non-starter role. Percy Butler will be asked to do more this season than any other in his young career or get replaced in the offseason.
Special Teams (3)
Place-Kicker: Jake Moody
Jake Moody versus Drew Stevens should prove to be a good roster battle during training camp. But for the team's sake, we should all hope the competition does not drag into the long parts of the preseason.
Punter: Tress Way
Long-Snapper: Tyler Ott
Toughest Commanders Roster Cuts
Jeremy McNichols
McNichols does well blocking for the quarterback and playing special teams, and it helps that when he does get the ball, he makes things happen: 44 rushes, 13 of which went for 1st downs. On 25 catches, 10 went for 1st downs.
Van Jefferson
Jefferson does enough to make the roster, but will likely fall victim to roster math.
Nick Bellore
Bellore is a special-teams demon, but when does the need for that extra roster spot outweigh his 37-year-old ability to get it done? The answer likely lies in whether anyone can step up and do his role and others at the same time.
Deatrich Wise Jr.
Wise has too much competition around him to not see his name here. Make no mistake, he can get the job done. The question will be: is he good enough at the position to beat out one of the other guys next to him for Washington?
Drew Stevens
Drew Stevens and Jake Moody will both be potentially tough cuts. Stevens has an NFL leg, but is coming up against Moody, who had some success with Washington last year.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/commanders/onsi as Washington Commanders 53-Man Roster Projection Entering Training Camp.
