Commanders 53-man 2024 roster projection: Preseason clues edition

Commanders interior defensive line (4)

• Jonathan Allen, Daron Payne, Johnny Newton, Phidarian Mathis

There’s no change here. The only thing we have learned is that Washington’s depth is highly suspect. We have not seen the three players who should make up the interior line rotation this year.

Provided that rookie Johnny Newton gets healthy, and veterans Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne stay injury-free, the Commanders will be just fine. After that, all bets are off.

They will probably keep four interior linemen. Phidarian Mathis would seem to have the inside track to the final slot. He has not been great in camp, but he has been better than the other reserves.

His history of injuries might spook the coaches, and they may choose to go with a different player. But barring health issues, it should be Mathis.

Commanders offensive line (9)

• Brandon Coleman, Nick Allegretti, Tyler Biadasz, Sam Cosmi, Andrew Wylie, Cornelius Lucas, Michael Deiter, Julian Good-Jones, Chris Paul

Brandon Coleman will be the left tackle as soon as he is deemed ready. Until then, Cornelius Lucas will be a solid fill-in. The other spots are set. Andrew Wylie is doing what he has always done. It takes him a while to shake off the rust, but he will eventually be okay. The interior of the line should be better than last year.

The depth remains a major problem. The backups have gotten a lot of snaps during preseason and none have looked consistently reliable. Michael Deiter is the backup center by default, but he has not been very good so far.

Ricky Stromberg has looked lost to me. I thought he was reasonably safe this summer but that's no longer the case. Julian Good-Jones may have played himself onto the roster by outperforming the other backup guards.

Chris Paul played well in the first preseason game - where he showed some skill moving out to tackle - but he didn’t sustain it in the second contest. This remains a work in progress, but versatility and experience may be the deciding factors in filling out the depth pieces.

Commanders wide receivers (6)

• Terry McLaurin, Olamide Zaccheaus, Dyami Brown, Luke McCaffrey, Jahan Dotson, Jamison Crowder

Washington is likely to keep six receivers and five of them seem to be set. The only real change from the summer projection is the depth chart.

Dyami Brown is surging. We have been fooled by this before, but the combination of his increased experience and the talent of his new quarterback offers hope that this time it might stick. Olamide Zaccheaus has established himself as a quality veteran playmaker.

Both may have moved ahead of Jahan Dotson, though it is still far too early to write off the former first-rounder despite his disappointing 2023. Luke McCaffrey needs seasoning, but he is close to being a value addition.

That leaves a lot of players battling for one or possibly two final spots. The recent signings of veterans Byron Pringle and Martavis Bryant suggest Washington is not entirely satisfied with its crop of younger, developmental wideouts. Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint, Brycen Tremayne, and Mitchell Tinsley all offer intriguing skills but none have stood out.

Davion Davis would need to stick as a kick returner, and that position remains unresolved. In the end, the Commanders may simply take the most reliable option. Jamison Crowder is a smart slot receiver who can return punts. He has been with Washington on and off for a long time now. He may not seem as exciting as some newer options, but the veteran may be the smart choice to help them win games now.