Editor’s note: This isn’t a complete depth chart, but an examination of depth on the Commanders roster, omitting the starters/key players in each position group to focus on the reserves:
It seems like decades ago that the Washington Commanders had a team this stacked.
Much of the 2000s saw incredible roster mismanagement and a reliance on aging veterans well past their prime. If the team had a good offense, they were lacking a reliable defense. If the defense was top-third, the offense was usually
resembling The Island of Misfit Toys.
Those days seem to be in the rearview mirror, as Adam Peters has stacked this roster with lots of young, ascending talent on both sides of the ball. The 2026 team is loaded with “reds” — upper-level talent — and has some young guys who could be destined to turn “blue” — elite players — in the near future. It’s a far cry from just a few years ago, when Ron Rivera was acquiring talent based on odd criteria.
Last week I did a comparison of talent between the 2024 squad that went to the NFC Championship game versus the current collection of talent we have assembled. The 2026 positional groups blew the 2024 team out of the water.
Depth is tested each and every year in the NFL, and it’s very important for a roster to have good reserves as well as quality starters in order to compete at a high level throughout the season. With that, I wanted to take a look at the Commanders depth and see if this roster is really ready for a run.
Tyler’s take: A lot of the 2026 Commanders depth could have started for Ron Rivera’s teams…
Offense
Quarterback
Marcus Mariota — Former starter
Athan Kaliakmanis
Sam Hartman
Analysis: Although Marcus Mariota never lived up to the hype as the second overall pick of the 2015 NFL Draft, he’s one of the better backup quarterbacks in the NFL. Athan Kaliakmanis is an unknown at this point but, if he can step up and secure QB3, this team will be better for it.
Running back
Kaytron Allen — Can become a starter
Jerome Ford
Jeremy McNichols
Analysis: It seems that Bill Croskey-Merritt and Rachaad White will share the load in the backfield, but rookie Kaytron “Fatman” Allen could push for carries early and become a short-yardage specialist in 2026.
Wide receiver
Dyami Brown — Former starter
Luke McCaffrey
Jaylin Lane
Analysis: This is one area where the depth is decent, but the starting group remains very undefined and relatively underwhelming. What I do like is the youth and athleticism that the Commanders have as reserves and the flexibility that some of these players have to line up at different spots within the new offense.
Tight end
John Bates — Situational starter
Ben Sinnott
Colson Yankoff
Analysis: Bates is one of the best blocking tight ends in the entire league, and Sinnott has the potential to become a much more valuable asset to the offense under new coordinator David Blough.
Offensive line
Chris Paul – Starting caliber
Matt Gulbin — Could compete for starting center
Andrew Wylie — Former starter
Trent Scott
Tim McKay
Analysis: Having two former starters as reserves is massive. Maybe Chris Paul wins the starting job again and Brandon Coleman is in a reserve role, but however you slice it, the starting group has greatly improved and the depth behind them gives the coaching staff flexibility.
Defense
Defensive line
Tim Settle — Situational starter
Charles Omenihu — Situational starter
Jer’Zhan Newton — Fringe starter
D.J. Davidson
Analysis: There are probably a dozen plus teams in the NFL where Tim Settle, Charles Omenihu and Jer’Zhan Newton would be starters. Having them here as rotational pieces/situational starters is an absolute blessing. It will help to keep Daron Payne and Javon Kinlaw fresh and will allow for multiple looks up front.
EDGE
Dorance Armstrong — Situational starter
Joshua Josephs — Can become a starter
Deatrich Wise — Former starter
Javontae Jean-Baptiste
Analysis: Aside from linebacker, no positional group on the team underwent a bigger transformation than EDGE. Two potential difference makers (Odafe Oweh and K’Lavon Chaisson) were brought in to provide an immediate impact, and with that comes depth behind them. Dorance Armstrong, who is coming off a knee injury, was a starter the past two years, and Deatrich Wise was going to be a major contributor on the 2025 defense before getting injured early in the season. Joshua Josephs has immense potential to become an impact player down the line.
Linebacker
Frankie Luvu — Situational starter
Jordan Magee — Situational starter
Kain Medrano
Ale Kaho
Analysis: Having a linebacker room with a former All-Pro (Luvu) who may play as a situational starter in 2026 says a lot about just how far this room has come. What I can confidently say is that Luvu and Magee would have been starters in the Ron Rivera days. Linebacker went from a massive weakness to a team strength simmingly overnight.
Cornerback
Amik Robertson — Situational starter
Ahkello Witherspoon — Fringe starter
Antonio Hamilton
Darius Rush
Car’lin Vigers
Analysis: Some may disagree with this, but the cornerback room is nowhere near as bad as people make it out to be, especially when you factor in the scheme and how a third safety is often used as a nickel defender. Amik Robertson has inside/outside versatility and is still young. Ahkello Witherspoon has length and athleticism and could carve out a nice reserve role in this defense. Darius Rush and Car’lin Vigers give Daronte Jones some young, long, athletic players to develop.
Safety
Quan Martin — Situational starter
Jeremy Reaves
Percy Butler
Malik Spencer
Analysis: Seeing as Minnesota played a lot with three safeties — and defensive coordinator Daronte Jones should pull from Vikings defensive philosophies — I think that looking at the depth here is important. Having a guy in Quan Martin, who projects as a versatile chess-piece in this defense, is intriguing. Cross is the alpha of the group, and although there might not be a lot of big names here, if Jones can get this group on the same page, and the scheme fits the players’ talents, we could be in a good situation.
Overall, this is the best team depth I can remember Washington having since before the turn of the century. Every team in the NFL is just one injury away from having to turn to their depth and, as you clearly saw with last year’s Commanders, that did not work out very well.
I’m much more confident that if the Commanders’ depth is yet again tested this season that this group will be much better prepared to handle it.
Hypothetical depth-only starting lineup
OFFENSE
QB — Marcus Mariota
RB — Kaytron Allen
WR — Dyami Brown
WR — Luke McCaffrey
WR — Jaylin Lane
TE — John Bates/Ben Sinnott
LT — Trent Scott
LG — Chris Paul
C — Matt Gulbin
RG — Tim McKay
RT — Andrew Wylie
DEFENSE
EDGE — Dorance Armstrong
DT — Tim Settle
DT — Jer’Zhan Newton
EDGE — Charles Omenihu/Jonathan Josephs
LB — Frankie Luvu
LB — Jordan Magee
CB — Ahkello Witherspoon
CB — Amik Robertson
SLOT CB — Quan Martin
S — Jeremy Reaves
S — Percy Butler/Malik Spence
How many games could this make-shift starting lineup win in 2026? Let us know about that and your thoughts on the Commanders depth in the comments below.
