As a follow-up to the top 10 list of players we put out over the last few weeks, I wanted to give you my top 13 players on our squad, and my reasoning behind why I ranked each player where I did. These rankings did factor into the overall rankings you saw over the last few weeks, but Scott Bair promised you a Tyler’s Take with my thoughts – so here it is!
Editor’s note: We’ll count down the top 10 Commanders players on the 2026 roster regardless of position sporadically over the next few weeks. Before
we get to it, here’s how we arrived at the ranking: Our Scott Bair, Scott Jennings and Mark Tyler compiled a top 13 – no ranking was identical — with points assigned to each ranking slot from all three lists. We used these point values to form a consensus top 10 ranking. We’ll write a story on each member of the top 10 and another on others receiving votes at the end. Plus, Mark will probably have a Tyler’s Take with his thoughts. You’ll surely object to some of these rankings, though debate is kind of the point with lists like this. Today we focus on No. 1:
Our roster rankings: 10. Leo Chenal | 9. Chig Okonwko | 8. Nick Cross | 7. Sam Cosmi | 6. Sonny Styles | 5. Daron Payne | 4. Odafe Oweh | 3. Terry McLaurin | 2. Jayden Daniels | 1. Laremy Tunsil
Tyler’s Top 13
13. P Tress Way: I know punters don’t get enough credit (and I’m guilty of this too), but Way is fantastic at what he does!
12. DL Javon Kinlaw: It may not have shown up on tape a lot last season, but Kinlaw was often double-teamed yet still held his own on a very poor front seven. I think he’ll show out in this new, attacking scheme.
11. LB Frankie Luvu: Missed tackles and poor coverage dropped him out of my top 10. I know he played out of position a lot last year, but the head-hunting has to stop. He’s still a good player when he’s played to his strengths.
10. TE Chig Okonwko : I am going to use the dreaded “P-word” here, but I do feel he may have the highest potential of any free agent the Commanders brought in this offseason. He’s a JUMBO wide receiver with a tight end designation. His run-after-catch is borderline elite and he’s right smack in the heart of his prime.
9. LB Leo Chenal: Tough, athletic, versatile and still in his prime. He should thrive in this new scheme.
8. EDGE K’Lavon Chaisson: He’s out to prove he deserves a long-term contractual commitment. His get-off and rip-under are next level. He should thrive in a defense that doesn’t allow teams to focus on one specific player.
7. S Nick Cross: He’s going to be that versatile chess piece Daronte Jones covets in his defensive scheme.
6. DL Daron Payne: We all know how well contract-year Payne plays. Let’s hope we see that guy in 2026. He’s still young and talented!
5. EDGE Odafe Oweh: After a slow start to his career, Oweh is just coming into his own. He’s an athletic freak with the length d-coordinators covet. I expect him to be a disruptive force in this new defense where he can literally come from ANYWHERE!
4. OG Sam Cosmi: He’s a top 5-7 right guard in the league today.
3. WR Terry McLaurin: Terry may not be the same player he once was, but his work ethic, leadership and football IQ are unmatched. Some may say he’s the heartbeat of this team.
2. QB Jayden Daniels: There was some discussion that Daniels should be number one on this list – but you won’t see that from me just yet. He has all the traits to become an All-Pro. We just need to see it for more than one season.
1. OT Laremy Tunsil: Tunsil, in my humble opinion, is a top three left tackle in the league. He’s currently our only BLUE. Having him anywhere else on this list would be disrespectful.
Biggest discrepancies
- Sonny Styles was not listed in my top 13 (the point system had him at number six) because he’s yet to play a game in the NFL; and frankly, that’s what this list is all about – production on the field. I know I brought up the “P-Word” with some of these players, but all of them have already taken NFL snaps. He could turn out to be Fred Warner or he may become Jamin Davis (highly unlikely), but until Sonny has a year under his belt, he’ll remain unranked by me.
- I had K’Lavon Chaisson eighth on my list. To me, he’s yet another younger guy who never quite latched on early in his career, but he’ll be just 27 this month, and his best football may still be ahead of him. He had a solid season in New England in 2025, and he showed to be disruptive during their playoff run.
- Trey Amos is a player who I absolutely love, but he was unable to finish his rookie year due to injury, which is why he didn’t make this list. I think it’s pretty easy to make a case for him being a top 12 player right now, but until I can see more, he’s off of it for now.
- If this list was put together after the 2024 season, I’d likely have Mike Sainristil included somewhere between 9-13, but following a poor sophomore season, and with only one good one under his belt, he was excluded from my list.
Please discuss these ranks versus the consensus in the comments below.
