The Washington Commanders set a completely different tone right out of the gate at organized team activities. Everyone was stung by last season's complacency and complete capitulation. There is a fierce desire to right these wrongs, and head coach Dan Quinn did his part by immediately raising the tempo of practices.
This was imperative.
Nobody has lost faith in Quinn. He never had anyone speak out against him last season, which is a sign of the respect he is held in. Pride has been stung, and new doubts have inevitably surfaced after such a torrid campaign. However, the Commanders believe a quick bounce-back is well within their capabilities if the signs from OTAs are any indication.
With that being said, here are five winners and three losers from a fascinating OTA period for the Commanders.
Winners and losers from Washington Commanders 2026 OTAs
Winner No. 1
Sonny Styles - Commanders LB
The hype around Sonny Styles continues to soar. Washington is expecting big things from the No. 7 overall selection in the 2026 NFL Draft, and he's hitting the ground running over early workouts. The Commanders are making him earn it, as they did with Jayden Daniels and Josh Conerly Jr., but he's responding positively to the challenges.
Styles is fast, physical, and explosive. The Commanders didn't bring back Bobby Wagner in free agency, and it already looks like the Ohio State product could be a ready-made replacement if the same high-performance levels continue over the summer.
There were other options available to the Commanders in the first round. However, Styles has all the makings of a franchise cornerstone if he stays injury-free.
Loser No. 1
Ja'Corey Brooks - WR
The Commanders have a surplus at wide receiver. There are still unknowns in the room, with only Terry McLaurin boasting legitimate production over a consistent period. Another veteran could be brought in at some stage, but Adam Peters has held firm so far.
Unfortunately, there was always going to be an odd man out early. That turned out to be Ja'Corey Brooks, who was released during OTAs.
Brooks arrived in Washington last season as an undrafted free agent. He performed extremely well last summer but didn't do quite enough to make the 53-man roster. Though he came back onto the practice squad, opportunities on the game-day squad were limited, and fellow UDFA Jacoby Jones was preferred when it came to the crunch.
The Commanders cut ties with Brooks. And with no other team taking the plunge as yet, his time in the league may be over before it barely began.
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