When Adam Peters traded for Deebo Samuel Sr. early in the offseason, it looked as if the Washington Commanders would have one of the league's best wide receiver groups.
Samuel joined second-team All-Pro Terry McLaurin to give Jayden Daniels an experienced, dynamic pair of presumptive starters. On paper, they would be supported by Hail Mary hero Noah Brown and second-year emerging star Luke McCaffery. Then, Peters added another talented threat when he drafted Jaylin Lane.
Those five players appeared to be the core of the Commanders' wideouts. All came with questions. Samuel’s downturn in production last season raised questions about his age. Brown has never been able to avoid the injury bug. McCaffery and Lane have yet to prove their ability at the professional level.
Commanders' wide receiver battle is heating up before the preseason
McLaurin has been the one constant, but as his contract situation turns ever more dire, he has become the biggest question mark of them all. Problems lead to opportunities in the NFL, and his absence has opened the door for others.
There was always going to be a battle for the final spot or two. Uncertainty surrounding McLaurin adds extra importance to those battles. Fortunately, Peters recognizes how vital it is to keep a constant supply of talent on hand. He has assembled a strong group of veterans and youngsters alike. Barring injury, all of them should get a chance to show what they can do in the preseason.
The Commanders have one receiver with a 1,000-yard season on his résumé, and another who caught 15 touchdowns over three years. A third wideout has played in more than 100 NFL games with a catch percentage hovering around 65.
Michael Gallup is the most mercurial of the group. Early on, he was an excellent deep ball threat. At 29 years old, he is attempting a comeback after a year in retirement. If he can still resemble the player who has averaged better than 14 yards per catch in his career, he could be a secret weapon for Kliff Kingsbury’s offense.
K.J. Osborn was an emerging WR3 for the Minnesota Vikings a few years back, but his career seemed to stall out with the New England Patriots last season. He may be the closest approximation Washington currently has to McLaurin. He doesn’t have the same speed. But he is fast enough to make plays all over the field and has demonstrated the ability to make tough catches throughout his career.
Chris Moore rounds out the trio of veteran backups vying for a roster spot. He has never been as flashy as either Gallup or Osborn, but he has played a lot of games at a consistently solid level. And he is reportedly having an excellent camp.
Then, there are the developmental players.
Michael Strachan has been in the league for a while without ever making a mark. Since being drafted in the seventh round by the Indianapolis Colts in 2021, the former Charleston star has caught just six balls in NFL games. However, he sticks around because of the rare athletic traits he offers.
At 6-foot-5 and 225 pounds, Strachan has been clocked under 4.5 seconds in the 40-yard dash. If he can harness that athleticism, the wideout could find his way onto the field.
Ja’Corey Brooks was a highly-touted prospect coming out of high school, but he had trouble cracking the lineup in the competitive Alabama receiving room. He transferred to Louisville and had a strong year in 2024, going for better than 1,000 receiving yards and scoring nine touchdowns.
Brooks has also made some wow plays in camp. He needs to build on that to keep from being this year’s Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint, a wideout who impressed early in last year’s camp but didn’t sustain his early level.
The Commanders have three other receivers hoping to make a mark. Recent arrivals Tay Martin and Braylon Sanders join undrafted free agent Jacoby Jones as long shots.
Both Jones and Martin offer excellent length on the outside, while Sanders was a big-play machine for the Washington Defenders in the UFL. Each needs a positive play or two to begin a long climb up the depth chart.
Fans should be on the lookout for wrinkles. Kazmeir Allen has moved back to running back, and Colson Yankoff is firmly in the mix at tight end, but both have played wide receiver in the past. It will be interesting to see if Kingsbury has any experiments in mind with his more versatile weapons.
There are only three preseason games this year. Even though practice performance is the most important thing for these players, games are special. One big play — positive or negative — can have an outsized impact on roster decisions.
McLaurin’s uncertainty makes it more important that Peters and Dan Quinn make the right call. We all get to see these players compete when the preseason kicks off.