Brandon Coleman - Commanders OL
The Washington Commanders made substantial changes to their offensive line during the offseason. Adam Peters knew he had a superstar quarterback in Jayden Daniels. Attention immediately turned to keeping his pocket clean more consistently.
Peters traded for five-time Pro Bowl left tackle Laremy Tunsil. He spent the No. 29 overall selection in the 2025 NFL Draft on Josh Conerly Jr. After some growing pains from the rookie, this has begun to emerge as a bookend tackle tandem for the team to depend upon long-term.
This switched Brandon Coleman, last year's starting blindside protector, to the interior. He started the campaign at left guard, but the transition did not go according to plan. The former TCU standout was benched after two games, giving Chris Paul a chance to stake a claim when all hope seemed lost. He's grasped it with both hands, leaving the second-year lineman firmly on the outside looking in.
Coleman's status is directly tied to Paul, who is out of contract next spring. His surge in consistency more than warrants another deal, but much will depend on the money involved. Keeping continuity on the protection would be fantastic, even if that means keeping the 2024 third-rounder as a backup until further notice.
Ben Sinnott - Commanders TE
The Commanders didn't draft Ben Sinnott at No. 53 overall in the 2024 NFL Draft to be a bit-part player. But almost two years into his professional journey in Washington, that's precisely what he looks like.
Washington had Zach Ertz and John Bates as its starting tight end tandem during Sinnott's rookie year. Both performed well enough for an extended stay, which restricted his reps. Even so, fans were anticipating more involvement from Kansas State in the offseason to hone his craft.
His snap percentage in Year 2 has stayed the same at 27.0. Sinnott's been targeted just three times in the passing game. There have been flashes of promise as a blocker, but the fact that Washington has remained reluctant to get him involved is a damning indictment of his growth behind the scenes.
Ertz might not be around next season. He's still producing the goods, but he's 35 and could be contemplating retirement. If the three-time Pro Bowler departs, the moves general manager Adam Peters makes will tell fans everything they need to know about how the Commanders view Sinnott's potential to be a genuine difference-maker moving forward.
If Ertz re-ups on another one-year deal, Sinnott could be out in the proverbial wilderness for a third-straight campaign.