The Commanders had 3 young standouts in loss to Broncos that fans should be excited about for the future
The future looks bright for Treylon Burks, Josh Conerly Jr, and Jordan Magee.
The Washington Commanders lost a heartbreaker at home against the Denver Broncos, but there were a lot of positive takeaways with the team finally showing some fight.
First off, we saw Terry McLaurin return to himself and make the big plays when the team needed them the most. We also saw a lot of young players rise to the occasion, showing they are a bright spot on the roster and that fans should be excited about what’s to come.
From highlight-reel catches to passing the test against one of the best units in the NFL, three young players had a standout game against the Broncos.
WR Treylon Burks
Treylon Burks didn’t have the craziest stat line of the night, but he had a highlight-reel catch that made headlines all around the league, and even got a shoutout from Odell Beckham Jr. The Commanders knew he was capable of making a crazy play with his athletic ability, and his one-handed catch showed his true potential.
The wide receiver room was dealing with a lot of injuries, and the Commanders decided to bring Burks in and see if a change of scenery would help the former first-round pick. McLaurin will obviously be back next season, but the Commanders still need to add playmakers for Jayden Daniels, and Burks turning into a true threat would be a huge win for Adam Peters and the roster.
RT Josh Conerly Jr.
It wasn’t the best start for rookie right tackle Josh Conerly Jr., but the early storm turned out to be exactly what he needed to find his groove. Conerly Jr. has turned into a reliable right tackle opposite of Laremy Tunsil.
He’s put together his best stretch of games and hasn’t allowed a sack in four weeks. He had a clean stat sheet against one of the best pass-rushing units in the NFL, with zero pressures allowed and the most pass-blocking snaps by an offensive tackle all week.
There was a lot of criticism around drafting Conerly Jr. in the first round, and even more so after a bad start, but he just needed time, and looks to be well worth the investment as a long-term piece of the offense.
LB Jordan Magee
Jordan Magee is another player who has taken positive steps in the right direction every week, and it was needed for the defense. Magee ended up being the Commanders’ highest graded defender on PFF, and the tape backs it up.
We saw Magee fly around against the Miami Dolphins, and he did it again this week. Magee had 24 snaps, which is around what he’s gotten over the last few weeks, but he had his best game with a season-high six tackles and a team-high five stops on defense.
If Magee can show out in these last five weeks and prove he can start next season, that would be a huge help for the roster construction GM Adam Peters has to continue this offseason. They could still add a quality linebacker to split snaps with Magee and Frankie Luvu, but it won’t be as pressing as expected.
Hopefully, we continue to see the younger foundation of the team develop as the Commanders chase wins and end the season on a high note. There will be a lot of changes this offseason, and the more players that the coaching staff can lean on, the better.
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