In less than one week, Washington Commanders‘ rookies will report to training camp in Ashburn, Virginia. A few days later, Washington’s veterans will report, and practice begins on July 29.
Since the Commanders completed OTAs and minicamp last month, much of the talk surrounding Washington has been which veteran wide receiver it will sign before Week 1. One of those wide receivers, Brandon Aiyuk, has made it clear he wants to sign with Washington once he’s released by the 49ers. That hasn’t happened, and the Commanders appear to have soured on Aiyuk because of his social media activity.
Will Washington sign Stefon Diggs? Or will GM Adam Peters roll with the group he has for Week 1?
The Commanders recently signed veteran cornerback Rasul Douglas to shore up another questionable area. They appear done at cornerback.
With Washington’s 90-man roster set for now, we take our first shot at predicting its first 53-man roster for 2026. All 32 NFL teams have until 6 p.m. ET on August 30 to trim their rosters from 90 to 53 players. We will do this exercise throughout the preseason. Here is our pre-training camp 53-man roster projection.
Quarterback (3)
- Jayden Daniels
- Marcus Mariota
- Athan Kaliakmanis
We were tempted to go with two here, but Daniels’ health gave us pause. So, it makes sense that the Commanders would carry three quarterbacks. If they do, the rookie Kaliakmanis makes it over Sam Hartman. Washington was extremely high on Kaliakmanis throughout the pre-draft process, and he appears to be a David Blough pick.
Running back (4)
- Jacory Croskey-Merritt
- Rachaad White
- Kaytron Allen
- Jeremy McNichols
The only question here is whether Washington will keep three or four running backs. Since there is no standout lead back, the Commanders will likely keep four, with each holding a different role. Croskey-Merritt and White will hold the top two spots, while Allen will get time.
Wide receiver (6)
- Terry McLaurin
- Dyami Brown
- Treylon Burks
- Luke McCaffrey
- Jaylin Lane
- Antonio Williams
This position remains the biggest mystery. In this version, Van Jefferson misses the cut. Washington goes with promising former draft picks, McCaffrey and Lane, both of whom also stand out in the return game. McCaffrey took a step forward last season, before a broken collarbone ended his season. Brown’s return has the team excited, while Washington believes in Burks. Antonio Williams could have a huge rookie season.
Tight end (4)
- Chig Okonkwo
- John Bates
- Ben Sinnott
- Colson Yankoff
This group looks like last season, except for Okonkwo replacing Zach Ertz. Sinnott will move around more in David Blough’s offense. Don’t sleep on him in 2026. Bates remains one of the NFL’s top blockers.
Offensive line (9)
- Laremy Tunsil
- Josh Conerly Jr.
- Sam Cosmi
- Nick Allegretti
- Chris Paul
- Brandon Coleman
- Matt Gulbin
- Andrew Wylie
- Trent Scott
The top seven guys are set. Whether it’s Paul or Coleman at left guard, both will be a significant part of this group. Coleman and Wylie can play tackle or guard, giving the Commanders plenty of flexibility. Gulbin looks like he’ll be the backup center as a rookie. Trent Scott returns for another year in the burgundy and gold.
Defensive line (4)
- Daron Payne
- Tim Settle
- Javon Kinlaw
- Johnny Newton
This should be a solid group. Can Payne shine again in a contract season as he did in 2022? Even if he does, there’s no guarantee Washington re-signs him. While he’s reliable, the on-field results haven’t been there over the past couple of seasons. Settle is back and will start. Kinlaw played much better last season than he was given credit for. The Commanders hope this is a breakout year for Newton.
Edge (5)
- Odafe Oweh
- K’Lavon Chaisson
- Dorance Armstrong
- Charles Omenihu
- Joshua Josephs
Which position improved the most? Edge or linebacker? Both are much better — and faster. Armstrong is coming off knee surgery and is in a much better role with the additions of Oweh, Chaisson and Omenihu. Washington is excited about this group now. Rookie Joshua Josephs is a player to watch. Javontae Jean-Baptiste just misses the cut.
Linebacker (5)
- Frankie Luvu
- Sonny Styles
- Leo Chenal
- Jordan Magee
- Nick Bellore
These five are set. Bellore plays exclusively on special teams, but he’s listed as a linebacker. Washington still believes in Magee. The big omission here is Kain Medrano. The speedy second-year LB probably makes it, but in our first edition, he just misses the cut.
Cornerback (5)
- Mike Sainristil
- Trey Amos
- Amik Robertson
- Rasul Douglas
- Ahkello Witherspoon
This one seems pretty easy. Douglas’ signing could throw a wrench into who starts. He’s started for much of his career and played well over the last two seasons. Washington is counting on a bounce-back season from Sainristil. Amos is coming back from a leg injury that ended his rookie season. Robertson, like Sainristil, can play inside or outside.
Safety (5)
- Quan Martin
- Nick Cross
- Will Harris
- Jeremy Reaves
- Tyler Owens
What do you notice here? No Percy Butler. I don’t feel good about that one, but there’s no way Washington keeps six safeties. Right? Maybe we’ll be surprised, but I doubt it. The Commanders still believe in Martin, while Cross was a top offseason addition. Harris is back and healthy. Washington likes what he did last season when he was on the field. Reaves remains a top special teams performer and a solid and dependable safety. Owens has the highest upside of anyone in the group.
Special teams (3)
- K Drew Stevens
- P Tress Way
- LS Tyler Ott
Yes, that’s right, we have undrafted rookie Drew Stevens beating out Jake Moody for the starting kicker job. This battle will go down to the final preseason game, but we’re giving Stevens the advantage. Way and Ott remain two of the best at their respective positions. The same applies to Bellore, who only plays on special teams.
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Commanders’ pre-training camp 53-man roster projection
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