Winner No. 2
Matt Gulbin - Commanders OL
It's been an up-and-down summer for rookie center Matt Gulbin. When Nick Allegretti suffered a calf strain on the first day of training camp, the Washington Commanders went with Julian Good-Jones in the starting lineup instead.
This choice was the clearest sign yet of how much development he needs, but the first preseason game left a glimmer of hope.
Gulbin flashed some encouraging moments. His snaps were on point, and there were some impressive reps in pass protection. While the Michigan State product doesn't seem capable of challenging Allegretti for the starting job, the Commanders would be wise to give him the second-team reps over Good-Jones for the remainder of camp.
There was an inevitable transition period, which is understandable. The Commanders believed in Gulbin's long-term outlook enough to take a chance on him with a Day 3 pick, and this first taste of NFL action will be a big confidence boost.
Loser No. 1
Sam Hartman - Commanders QB
Sam Hartman is not an NFL-caliber quarterback. There is a big enough sample size over the last three seasons to see that, and it'll be interesting to see if the Commanders keep him around on the practice squad once again.
Hartman is clearly behind Athan Kaliakmanis in the pecking order right now. His poise lacks conviction, he doesn't go through his progressions effectively enough, and the signal-caller's decision-making is poor. Considering he's had a long time to develop, it's deeply disappointing.
While Hartman could get a place on the practice squad, it would be primarily down to his relationship with quarterback Jayden Daniels. It wasn't all bad for the Notre Dame product, but it was nowhere near the level expected.
Nobody associated with the Commanders was expecting miracles from Hartman. Kaliakmanis is ahead of him, but his presence will still be needed if veteran backup Marcus Mariota is forced to miss time.
Winner No. 3
Quan Martin - Commanders DB
There is enormous pressure on Quan Martin this summer. The defensive back is still fighting for relevancy within Daronte Jones' scheme, but this performance represented a positive step in the right direction.
Martin made some encouraging plays against the Dolphins. It looked like his tackling technique had improved, and he arguably looked more comfortable than at any stage during the 2025 campaign. At a time when his aspirations are hanging in the balance, every little helps.
Head coach Dan Quinn confirmed after the contest that Martin and Jeremy Reaves are competing for the starting safety spot opposite Nick Cross. Will Harris could also feature, but his inconsistencies are glaring.
The Commanders could shake up the dynamic in terms of playing time over their final two preseason games, but Martin gave himself a fighting chance if nothing else. Whether he can build on this newfound positivity is the big question.
Add us as a preferred source on Google