Commanders’ way-too-early 53-man roster projection: Washington still has work to do before it gets back to playoff contender status
The Commanders’ roster is in a much better place after free agency and the 2026 NFL Draft, but there is a lot to be done before the team is labeled a playoff contender, again.
While the Washington Commanders added some good players in the 2026 NFL Draft, there are still plenty of questions when it comes to what the final 53-man roster looks like.
The Commanders added six new draft picks into the mix, but they also signed eight undrafted free agents in order to create more competition and depth over the next few months.
So, now that the draft is officially done, let’s go ahead and try to answer some of said questions in a way-too-early 53-man roster projection.
Note: Players with a single asterisk (*) are 2026 draft picks and players with double asterisks (**) are 2026 undrafted free agents.
Commanders’ way-too-early post-draft 53-man roster projection with UDFAs
Quarterback (2)
IN: Jayden Daniels, Marcus Mariota
OUT: Sam Hartman, Athan Kaliakmanis*
The skinny: Daniels is locked as the Commanders’ franchise QB and Mariota is beloved by the coaching staff. The real competition will be between Hartman and Kaliakmanis for the QB3 position. I don’t think either does enough to make the 53, but I do think Kaliakmanis beats out Hartman for the QB3 job. He’s a big, strong-armed passer who really improved his accuracy and decision-making last year and I believe that momentum carries over into the offseason.
Running back (4)
IN: Rachaad White, Jacory Croskey-Merritt, Jeremy McNichols, Kaytron Allen*
OUT: Jerome Ford, Robert Henry Jr.**
The skinny: It’s hard to see the Commanders taking five running backs into the regular season, which leaves Ford on the outside. Allen gets the nod over him due to his pass blocking prowess and while he’s not projected as a special-teamer, the Commanders could try him out early-on and see what he’s got. The team obviously like Jeremy McNichols both as a backfield option and special-teamer, so he should be fine.
Wide receiver (6)
IN: Terry McLaurin, Antonio Williams*, Luke McCaffrey, Dyami Brown, Jalin Layne, Jaden Bradley**
OUT: Treylon Burks, Nick Nash, Jacoby Jones, Van Jefferson, Ja’Corey Brooks, Chris Hilton Jr.**
The skinny: Who steps up as a consistent WR2 this year? Williams is the likely guy, but it’s nowhere near guaranteed he does. It just hasn’t clicked for McCaffrey yet and Brown quickly returned home after a failed season in Jacksonville. Lane looks like he’s more effective as a returner, right now. I went ahead gave Bradley the last spot, as he has some momentum after a career year in 2025.
The Commanders have to figure out the WR2 spot, and even after that. McLaurin can’t shoulder the load by himself and another bad injury leaves this room in a perilous spot.
Tight end (4)
IN: Chigoziem Okwonko, John Bates, Ben Sinnott, Colson Yankoff
OUT: Lawrence Cager, Quentin Moore**
The skinny: Zach Ertz is out of the picture and it’s Okwonko’s world, now. He brings some much-needed athleticism to the room and appears to be heading into his best years as a pro after spending his first four seasons in Tennessee. We all know how much the team likes Bates. It’ll be interesting to see if Sinnott and Yankoff can carve out more playing time, but they should make the team as TE3 and TE4, respectively.
Offensive line (9)
IN: Laremy Tunsil (LT), Sam Cosmi (RG), Nick Allegretti (C), Chris Paul (LG), Josh Conerly (RT), Brandon Coleman, Matt Gulbin*, Trent Scott, Andrew Wylie
OUT: Timothy McKay, Julian Good-Jones, Tyler Cooper, Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu, Foster Sarell, Tona Togiai**
The skinny: There are two positions in question when it comes the offensive line: center and the guard position opposite Cosmi. Allegretti currently leads the starting center job, but Brandon Coleman might get a shot at earning the gig, as well as the other guard position. There’s also Timothy McKay, although he’s largely unknown.
The overall versatitlity of the Commanders’ offensive line depth helps them carry nine guys, leaving a roster spot open elsewhere.
Defensive line (6)
IN: Daron Payne, Tim Settle, Javon Kinlaw, Jer’Zhan Newton, Charles Omenihu, Deatrich Wise
OUT: Jeffrey M’ba**, Shy Tuttle, Ricky Barber, DJ Davidson
The skinny: This is a pretty solid group, overall, and each player has a complementary skillset that helps another, for the most part. For instance, Kinlaw is a power/run defender-type player and Newton’s game is quickness/penetration. There’s a lot of potential, here, if Payne can get back to being just an above-average player.
Linebacker (4)
IN: Sonny Styles*, Frankie Luvu, Leo Chenal, Jordan Magee
OUT: Kain Medrano, Nick Bellore, Ale Kaho
The skinny: The Commanders are set at linebacker, especially considering the staff’s comments about Magee from earlier in the offseason. If Styles hits the ground running, the second level of Daronte Jones’ defense will easily be the second level. There’s a lot to like with this group.
EDGE/Outside Linebacker (5)
IN: Odafe Oweh, K’Lavon Chaisson, Dorance Armstrong, Joshua Josephs*, Javontae Jean-Baptiste
OUT: Drake Jackson, DJ Johnson, Andre Carter II, T.J. Maguranyanga
The skinny: The Commanders will have strong three-man rotation if Oweh and Chaisson live up to expectations and Armstrong is back to his old self. Josephs is an intriguing fourth option that can help on obvious passing downs while he continues to develop. I have Jean-Baptiste rounding out the room, but that can quickly change. Especially if he can’t carve something out on special teams.
Cornerback (6)
IN: Trey Amos, Mike Sainristil, Amik Robertson, Akhello Witherspoon, Tyler Owens, Tre Hawkins III
OUT: Darius Rush, Fred Davis II**, Car’lin Vigers, Qwuantrezz Knight,
The skinny: This is a rough looking room, especially when considering Sainristil’s tough 2025 season and the fact Amos was only OK before going down with an injury. Hawkins III fills out the final spot simply due to his special teams experience. The Commanders have to add another cornerback to this group and they still have one roster spot left – I expect them to use it on a veteran corner.
Safety (4)
IN: Nick Cross, Will Harris, Quan Martin, Jeremy Reaves
OUT: Percy Butler, Robert McDaniel, Malik Spencer**
The skinny: Martin is the only safety with adequate range capable of making the Commanders’ 53-man roster and that’s a problem. He didn’t play well, at all, last season and if that holds up in 2026 then the Commanders are stuck with a bunch of guys who are better in the box. That will obviously create plenty of issues when it comes to defending the big play over the top.
It still blows my mind the Commanders failed to address this position and corner during the draft.
Specialists (3)
IN: Jake Moody (K), Tress Way (P), Tyler Ott (LS)
OUT: Drew Stevens**
The skinny: The Commanders brought in Stevens to challenge Moody, signaling yet another potential change at the kicker position. If Moody fails to beat out Stevens, it’ll be the ninth kicker Washington has deployed under Adam Peters. It’s wild how much the franchise has struggled to find a reliable kicker, but we’ll see if Moody can reverse the trend.
Final Word
The Commanders addressed several issues over the offseason, but it remains to be seen if all the new pieces can come together and hit the ground running like the 2024 season. If they do come to fruition, the Commanders will return to a competitive level of play and won’t get blown out in every other game like last season.
Will it be enough to make them playoff contenders? I don’t think so. This team would have stay nearly 100% healthy in order to be a playoff contender and we all know the chances of that happening are insanely small. The depth just isn’t there, right now.
There’s uncertainty behind Terry McLaurin. The offensive line still has questions at center and we’ve addressed the issues with the secondary. We don’t know if Oweh and Chaisson are the real deal, either.
And then the questions get even bigger if any of the top players go down. And we know that’ll happen to some of them at some point.
I’d say the Commanders took a step forward this season, but they still have a hill to climb before getting back to the playoffs.