Commanders' offensive roster projection
Quarterback (3): Jayden Daniels, Marcus Mariota, Josh Johnson.
Running back (3): Brian Robinson Jr., Austin Ekeler, Jacory Croskey-Merritt.
Wide receiver (6): Terry McLaurin, Deebo Samuel Sr., Noah Brown, Jaylin Lane, Luke McCaffrey, Ja'Corey Brooks.
Tight end (3): Zach Ertz, John Bates, Ben Sinnott.
Offensive line (9): Laremy Tunsil, Brandon Coleman, Tyler Biadasz, Nick Allegretti, Josh Conerly Jr., Andrew Wylie, Trent Scott, Foster Sarrell, Julian Good-Jones (Sam Cosmi — PUP).
Jayden Daniels is the franchise quarterback with the Washington Commanders' fate in the palm of his hand. Fans believe anything is possible with the No. 2 overall selection in the 2024 NFL Draft under center, and it's not hard to see why after his phenomenal first campaign in the pros.
Marcus Mariota will back him up, but he's been dealing with some injury problems of late. That could see the Commanders take three quarterbacks once again, and Josh Johnson looks like the frontrunner after outperforming Sam Hartman in Washington's preseason opener.
It'll be interesting to see how many spots are allocated to the running back room. Adam Peters might only need three, given the presence of Deebo Samuel Sr. and Jaylin Lane. That makes Brian Robinson Jr., Austin Ekeler, and seventh-round rookie Jacory Croskey-Merritt the choices, which is unlikely to change at this juncture.
The wide receiver room is arguably the most fascinating remaining dynamic. Terry McLaurin is still awaiting his new contract, but every fan is hoping for a successful resolution before Week 1 against the New York Giants arrives.
Samuel, Lane, Luke McCaffrey, and Noah Brown should make it barring something unforeseen occurring. That leaves perhaps one spot for someone else. The choice is undrafted rookie Ja'Corey Brooks after he brought in all five of his targets in a memorable preseason debut.
There hasn't been much drama in the tight end room. Zach Ertz and John Bates are the starting tandem, and the Commanders still have high hopes for Ben Sinnott. Things are less certain around Colson Yankoff, who could find himself off the team unless performances improve over the next two preseason games.
After some substantial investments in the offensive line, those in power are expecting every player to deliver. There are some injury concerns right now, with the statuses of Sam Cosmi and Brandon Coleman — who are projected to be the Commanders' starting guard tandem — in doubt.
Coleman has a better chance to feature right out of the gate than Cosmi, who'll probably start on the physically unable to perform list as he recovers from a torn ACL. There are no such issues at left tackle, with Laremy Tunsil making his presence felt immediately this offseason.
Tyler Biadasz will start at center, with Julian Good-Jones chosen over Michael Deiter to back him up. Andrew Wylie and Josh Conerly Jr. could share right tackle duties to start the season, but the rookie first-rounder has made some encouraging progress over the last week.