Commanders 53-man roster projection: Stefon Diggs bumps former first-rounder off the team, a 2026 draft pick gets cut, and more
The Commanders open the preseason against the Dolphins on Friday night. So, let’s take a poke at predicting what the 53-man roster looks like when cuts roll around at the end of the month.
The Washington Commanders kick off the preseason Friday night with a matchup against the Miami Dolphins. For the first time, we’ll get to see the 2026 roster under the lights in what should be an intriguing game. Even if it’s the preseason.
That means it’s time to get in a new 53-man roster projection. The last Commanders projection came after minicamp and there’s obviously been plenty of new developments that have shaken things up.
With that being said, let’s dive into the Commanders’ roster before the preseason games kick off.
Note: Players with a single asterisk (*) are 2026 draft picks and players with double asterisks (**) are 2026 undrafted free agents.
Commanders’ 53-man roster projection ahead of the first preseason game against the Dolphins
Quarterback (2)
IN: Jayden Daniels, Marcus Mariota
OUT: Sam Hartman, Athan Kaliakmanis*
The skinny: This is about as easy as it gets. Jayden Daniels is the face of the franchise, and Marcus Mariota has been a decent backup during his couple of years with the Commanders. Sam Hartman and Athan Kaliakmanis are camp arms at this point. I don’t expect either one to make the 53-man roster, with all due respect.
Running back (4)
IN: Rachaad White, Jacory Croskey-Merritt, Jeremy McNichols, Kaytron Allen*
OUT: Jerome Ford, Robert Henry Jr.**
The skinny: Another group that’s pretty easy to figure out. The ceiling for this running back room isn’t the highest, but the floor is higher than your typical running back room. That’s because the quartet of White, Croskey-Merritt, McNichols, and Allen can do their own special thing, and they all have enough versatility and dual skill sets to stay on the field in situations that make sense.
Don’t count out Robert Henry Jr. just yet, either. The preseason is a good chance for him to shine and show off his electric speed and playmaking ability. However, right now, those four guys are in and the other two are out.
Wide receiver (6)
IN: Terry McLaurin, Stefon Diggs, Antonio Williams*, Luke McCaffrey, Dyami Brown, Jalin Layne
OUT: Jaden Bradley**, Treylon Burks, Nick Nash, Jacoby Jones, Van Jefferson, River Cracraft
The skinny: The Stefon Diggs addition changes a lot of dynamics. Initially, I had Jaden Bradley making the team over Treylon Burks. That’s not so much the case now, and I still don’t see a path for Burks to make this roster. Sure, he’s plenty talented as the former 18th overall pick, but health concerns and overall development issues have held him back. Do you honestly see him making the team over Diggs, Terry McLaurin, Antonio Williams, Luke McCaffrey, Dyami Brown, and Jaylin Lane? I don’t think so.
Tight end (4)
IN: Chigoziem Okonkwo, John Bates, Ben Sinnott, Colson Yankoff
OUT: Lawrence Cager, Quentin Moore**
The skinny: I really can’t wait to see what Colson Yankoff does during the preseason. There’s been a lot of high talk about him as training camp has gone on, and with John Bates out, he has a perfect opportunity to make some big plays.
With all that being said, this room is set. Chig is tight end No. 1, then Bates at tight end No. 2 when he comes back, and then there’s Ben Sinnott, who’s been used at tight end and in the backfield at certain times.
Offensive line (9)
IN: Brandon Coleman (LT), Sam Cosmi (RG), Nick Allegretti (C), Chris Paul (LG), Josh Conerly (RT), Laremy Tunsil, Daniel Brunskill, Trent Scott, Andrew Wylie
OUT: Max Scharping, Matt Gulbin*, Julian Good-Jones, Nichoals Petit-Frere, Trey Hill, Foster Sarell, Tona Togiai**
The skinny: The Laremy Tunsil injury really shakes things up. There’s also Nick Allegretti, who is still out but is expected to return soon.
Regardless, you can see who the front five will be for this team even with Tunsil out. I really think Daniel Brunskill, who was signed about a week ago, makes this team. That’s because the dude can play all five positions. Granted, he’s better on the inside, but he gives Washington good interior depth. I think he’s going to find a way to outperform Matt Gulbin, the rookie sixth-round pick from this year’s draft.
It’s not a bad thing for Gulbin, as he’ll be a practice squad stash, but Brunskill’s versatility should get him the nod.
Defensive line (6)
IN: Daron Payne, Tim Settle, Javon Kinlaw, Jer’Zhan Newton, Charles Omenihu, Deatrich Wise (PUP/Short-term IR), Shy Tuttle
OUT: Jeffrey M’ba**, Ricky Barber, Bryon Cowart
The skinny: I’ve got six spots listed but seven names, and that’s because I think Dietrich Wise will start the season on PUP or short-term IR. If he stays on PUP, so the Commanders don’t have to use up one of their limited short-term IR spots.
That opens the door for Shy Tuttle to make this team. Tuttle has been a solid depth player throughout his career, even starting games at certain points, and he’s been playing well in camp. The preseason gives him a chance to really lock in that spot while the team awaits Wise’s return.
Linebacker (4)
IN: Sonny Styles*, Frankie Luvu, Leo Chenal, Jordan Magee
OUT: Kain Medrano, Ale Kaho, Curtis Jacobs
The skinny: Like the quarterback room, this is one of the easiest groups to figure out. The Commanders have four very good linebackers in Sonny Styles, Frankie Luvu, Leo Chenal, and Jordan Magee, and all four can do a lot of different things. I can’t wait to see how this room is deployed over the season.
Unfortunately, because of those top four, Medrano, Kaho, and Jacobs are all left out in the cold.
EDGE/Outside Linebacker (5)
IN: Odafe Oweh, K’Lavon Chaisson, Dorance Armstrong, Joshua Josephs*, Javontae Jean-Baptiste
OUT: Drake Jackson, DJ Johnson, T.J. Maguranyanga
The skinny: Odafe Oweh and K’Lavon Chaisson are leading the way. Armstrong just came back from PUP, which is a huge boost. If he can get back to the guy we saw during the first six or seven weeks of the season, then the Commanders will have a strong three-man rotation on the outside.
Joshua Josephs shows a lot of potential as a rookie, too. The last spot is where things get intriguing. You wonder how Javontae Jean-Baptiste will fit into this new defense, and there’s some familiarity with Drake Jackson. I don’t expect D.J. Johnson or T.J. Maguranyanga to make the team, but it will be worth watching which edge gets that fifth spot.
Cornerback (6)
IN: Rasul Douglas, Mike Sainristil, Amik Robertson, Trey Amos, Fabian Moreau, Antonio Hamilton Sr.
OUT: Darius Rush, Fred Davis II**, Car’lin Vigers, Qwuantrezz Knight, Tyler Owens
The skinny: This room looks so much better than it did before Rasul Douglas arrived. Even with Trey Amos’s recent ankle injury, there’s still a lot of excitement when it comes to the top three guys.
There are questions with Mike Sainristil and Amik Robertson, mainly whether they can bounce back from tough 2025 seasons. If they can, that really helps lock down this unit and gives Washington three viable corners. Fabian Moreau and Antonio Hamilton Sr. should round out the room. Moreau’s experience under Daronte Jones’s defense will give him the edge. When it comes to the other guys it’s simply a matter of depth chart math that does not work in their favor.
Safety (4)
IN: Nick Cross, Will Harris, Quan Martin, Jeremy Reaves
OUT: Percy Butler, Malik Spencer**
The skinny: Unless Percy Butler or Malik Spencer really show out over the next few weeks, this group is pretty much set in stone.
It looks like Jeremy Reaves is going to be the starting free safety, and that’s encouraging because Reaves played well last year. The Commanders coaches have raved about his development over the last 12 months. Nick Cross will be more of the box guy along with Will Harris, and Quan Martin is a wild card. He can play that center field position with a lot of range. If he can get back to his 2024 level of play, then the Commanders will be fine at safety.
It’s fair to wonder if they’ll carry a fifth guy, but right now I think the number stays at four.
Specialists (3)
IN: Drew Stevens** (K), Tress Way (P), Tyler Ott (LS)
OUT: Jake Mo0dy
The skinny: I still think Drew Stevens will eventually beat out Jake Moody. Both kickers have been neck and neck throughout training camp, so how they perform under the lights will go a long way in determining who wins this job. Stevens has such a big leg, and it sounds like a lot of the accuracy inconsistencies that bothered him from college have, for the most part, gone by the wayside in camp. Both kickers had a bad day a few days ago but have since rebounded, per reports. Tress Way and Tyler Ott are locked in at their respective positions.
Final Word
The Commanders roster has a lot to pay attention to over these next few weeks. While some positions are set in stone, there are starting and depth battles that will give us very good ideas and hints toward what this roster eventually shapes up to be.
It gives us plenty of fun storylines and talking points to monitor and I can’t wait to see how it all shakes out.
