The Commanders are coming off an impressive performance on Monday night. The first team offense looked dominant in the run game, with Bill Merritt and Chris Rodriguez combining for 108 yards and a touchdown. Jayden Daniels picked up right where he left off last season by creating a touchdown off-script. After the starters left, the quality of play dropped significantly, as Josh Johnson and Sam Hartman struggled and Bengals backup quarterback Jake Browning picked apart the back end of Washington’s
secondary. Since the starting group is expected to be “customized” for the final game of preseason, fans might think there’s nothing to watch, but here are five players worth tuning in for Saturday when the Commanders finish out their preseason schedule at home versus the Baltimore Ravens.
Jordan Magee
Magee is practicing and has the potential to suit up after missing time due to an undisclosed injury. Seeing Jordan on the field has become a rare event as the result of multiple injuries since his rookie season. Magee got his first defensive snap in Week 15 against the New Orleans Saints and played 12 snaps against the Philadelphia Eagles the following week, but was inactive for the team’s final two games. He played 10 total snaps in the playoffs against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers but was inactive for the Divisional round and NFC Championship.
Since he is once again missing time in the preseason, coaches and fans are understandably frustrated, but Magee has enough potential they should still be excited to evaluate his ability to help stop the run and the possibility of adding depth to a shallow LB pool. A strong performance in Week 3 and the coaches and fans would be right back behind the fifth-round linebacker. Less than a month ago everyone was still talking about a breakout year.
Luke McCaffrey
McCaffrey returns to the list after being absent last week. One reception for minus-one yard through two games will put you under the microscope. Admittedly, he sat quickly in Week 1 due to illness and didn’t have the highest caliber of quarterback play on Monday night, but his quiet preseason goes hand in hand with reports that he hasn’t stood out in camp and struggled despite receiving ample time with the ones. At this point, there isn’t much positive for the late third round pick, other than some separation statistics. Logan Paulsen debunked those same statistics in a podcast before training camp started, indicating they were skewed by running chip routes or the defender dropping off McCaffrey as the quarterback went through his progressions.
While you may point out that Luke has always been a developmental project since he transitioned to wide receiver in college, I think the coaching staff will need to see significant signs of progress soon to continue to invest in McCaffrey. None of the other back end wide receivers have made a significant run to overtake his draft status, but there is a possibility the coaches only keep five wide receivers on the initial 53-man roster. McCaffrey needs a good game to warrant playing time during the regular season, and, possibly, his roster spot.
Robert McDaniel
Fans that stuck around for the second half of MNF might have noticed No. 47 almost reel in an interception and make plays both in coverage and at the line of scrimmage.
McDaniel has had a quiet camp so far, but the undrafted free agent enjoyed a solid game on Monday night. He was only credited with one solo tackle but also had 4 assists and the pass deflection. His tackling ability and willingness to stick his nose into the pile was a welcome change from what we’ve seen so far. McDaniel’s roster chances looked bleak with Percy Butler’s extension, but with Dominique Hampton’s release and Car’Lin Vigers struggling in both games, the Commanders may be in the market for another hybrid safety/linebacker with versatility. McDaniel played significant snaps as the nickel in Jackson State’s defense and has a high football IQ. Another solid performance on Saturday could secure him a spot on the practice squad at a minimum.
Timothy McKay
Timothy Mckay projected as a third-round pick before tearing his pectoral muscle at his pro-day. He ended up going undrafted and signing with the Commanders on a relatively substantial contract:
McKay made a quick recovery and was removed from the NFI list on July 31, 2025. After sitting out the first preseason game and going through the “ramp-up” process in practice, he was active for the first time on Monday night. Unfortunately, things did not go very well for the versatile lineman from NC State; his PFF grade of 26.9 ranked the lowest out of all Commanders to take the field on either side of the ball. It was his first NFL action, and he is still recovering from injury, but McKay is running out of opportunities to instill confidence in the coaching staff. The offensive line has become a deep group following the addition of George Fant and the resurgence of Chris Paul this offseason. The potential is still there, but McKay needs to have a good performance on Saturday in order to avoid landing on injured reserve before the season starts.
Ale Kaho
The last preseason game is all about the undrafted free agents. These players are fighting for their NFL careers, and while the competition might not be at the highest level, their effort should be. With Jordan Magee out, Ale Kaho took full advantage of the opportunity last week, leading the team with seven tackles. One of Ken Norton Jr’s players from UCLA, Kaho has the necessary athleticism to play in the middle, and while his listed height and weight are similar to Medrano, his size caught my eye on Monday night:
Lost in the midst of the Terry McLaurin drama and Brian Robinson trade speculation, the special teams for the Commanders haven’t looked very good this preseason. They need an infusion of playmakers in that phase of the game, but so far none of the rookies have stepped up. In college, Kaho blocked three punts in his sophomore season, and if he can provide a couple of splash plays on special teams it will go a long way in his competition for a roster/practice squad spot with veteran Duke Riley. I have included Kaho’s highlight reel from UCLA below, but I would like to note he looked faster and more decisive in his reads Monday night than you will see there. I am interested to see what Ale can do in the preseason finale.
We have reached five players to keep an eye on when the Commanders take the field Saturday. Do you think I should have included one of the other wide receivers? A different player? State their case in the comment section below.
