The Washington Commanders have high hopes for a return to the playoffs in 2026, and much of that will center around the success of their new offense under first-time coordinator David Blough. In particular, he will need to establish the run game in a way that Kliff Kingsbury woefully failed to in 2025.
Washington can't afford for quarterback Jayden Daniels to become Superman, because we all saw how that went a year ago. It will fall on Blough to loosen his star passer's load by giving ample touches to Jacory Croskey-Merritt, Rachaad White, and sixth-round rookie Kaytron Allen.
The three of them will serve on a backfield committee, but it's Croskey-Merritt who offers the highest upside. After his promising rookie year, he'll look to take the next step.
Jacory Croskey-Merritt could take an even bigger jump in Commanders' new offense
Last season, Croskey-Merritt was the darling of the offseason as it quickly became apparent he was no ordinary seventh-round pick. He went from the final running back selected in his class to the Commanders' leading rusher on the year, accumulating 805 yards and eight touchdowns.
Croskey-Merritt accomplished all of this despite Kingsbury's stubbornness in trusting him in the backfield, due to his deficiencies in blocking and catching the ball. He was benched for power back Chris Rodriguez Jr. for long stretches of the campaign, and persevered through it all like a true pro.
After his midseason slump, Croskey-Merritt put together some of his most impressive performances of 2025 toward the end of the year. He found the end zone four times in the final four weeks, including a season-long 72-yard home run score against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 17.
Entering 2026, Croskey-Merritt has gained considerable muscle as he looks to pick up even better than where he left off. He might not touch the ball 25 times per game, but he can be a lethal weapon for Washington under a new coordinator who comes from a coaching tree that loves to run the ball.
White will be the third-down pass catcher, and Allen should get involved situationally in a role similar to the one Rodriguez played a season ago. But it's Croskey-Merritt who will set the tone as long as he stays healthy and maintains the coaching staff's trust.
Last time around, Croskey-Merritt was the biggest pleasant surprise for a Commanders team that otherwise greatly disappointed. In Year 2, everyone expects bigger things from the man they call "Bill."
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