Commanders’ first unofficial depth chart of 2026 season confirms suspicion surrounding Sonny Styles’ role on defense
The Commanders released their first unofficial depth chart on Monday and there aren’t a ton of surprises.
The Washington Commanders released the first unofficial depth chart of the 2026 season ahead of this week’s preseason game against the Miami Dolphins.
And while there aren’t many surprises/revelations, some suspicions were confirmed, starting with Sonny Styles’ spot as a starting linebacker.
Styles and Frankie Luvu were listed as the starting linebackers, with Leo Chenal and Jordan Magee behind them. Many assumed Styles would be one of the top-2 at the position, but Chenal’s veteran presence, plus his abilities, made him a candidate, as well.
And remember: This is the Commanders unofficial depth chart. Nothing is set in stone.
Sticking on the defensive side of the ball – there are two notable listings in the secondary. Trey Amos is ahead of Rasul Douglas and Jeremy Reaves is listed as the starting free safety:
The Amos-Douglas “hierarchy” is interesting considering Amos was cleared to practice at the end of last week. The Reaves listing is good to see, because free safety is a spot that holds a lot of questions heading into 2026.
Reaves showed what he could do in a full-time role last year, and the Commanders coaching staff has been raving about him, so it makes to see him as the starter on the first unofficial depth chart.
Everything pretty much falls in line on the offensive side of the Commanders’ unofficial depth chart. The most eye-opening developments come in the form of Antonio Williams’ spot behind both Stefon Diggs and Treylon Burks. One figured he’d be a little higher, but again, this is unofficial. So it’s not worth breaking down on a granular level.
The other notable aspect is Bill Merritt as RB1, although again, that was mostly expected. And, obviously, Laremy Tunsil won’t be starting at left tackle after his triceps injury.
For a team that’s undergone a ton of roster turnover and has a lot of questions at certain positions, there aren’t many surprises on here. Regardless, it’s still worth evaluating and it’s good to see the first issue of the team’s direction as we enter the first week of preseason action.
