3 surprising standouts from Commanders 2024 offseason workouts
By Dean Jones
Luke McCaffrey - Commanders WR
The Washington Commanders didn't make many alterations to their wide receiver room this offseason. Adam Peters kept faith with the large majority of options available. Curtis Samuel left for the Buffalo Bills in free agency. Only two notable arrivals joined the ranks.
Olamide Zaccheaus should be a decent rotational piece, but no more than that based on his production since entering the league. The Commanders also selected Luke McCaffrey at No. 100 overall in the 2024 NFL Draft to potentially become an outstanding weapon over time.
McCaffrey has the athleticism needed to make a difference. Many thought it would take time considering he has just two seasons of experience at the position in college. That might still be the case, but the rookie wideout caught the eye throughout early offseason workouts to raise optimism.
The former Rice standout knows what it takes to be a solid professional. His father and brother paved the way and provided some much-needed direction. McCaffrey wants to carve his path to prosperity, but the high-end work ethic and maximizing every opportunity are eerily similar to his family bloodline.
Rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels and McCaffrey are reportedly the first players in the building at 5.45 a.m. each day. They go through walkthroughs together and study film before joining their teammates later in the morning. This enabled both to form a close bond and develop encouraging chemistry the Commanders can hopefully benefit from long term.
This is just the first step for McCaffrey. It'll be interesting to see if he can keep this up when things get more intense during Washington's training camp. The coaching staff should get him plenty of work in preseason games to get a broader perception of what he might be capable of in Year 1 of his professional career.
Looking at how he's applied himself so far, don't be surprised if McCaffrey does enough to merit prominent involvement right out of the gate.