The Commanders have reached the pinnacle of their offseason program. Veteran minicamp is nearly upon us, with a three-day practice session starting on Tuesday at the team’s training facility in Ashburn, VA.
They’ve conducted a full strength and conditioning program and nine OTA sessions to this point. The Commanders still haven’t thrown the pads on and won’t until late July, but we’ll reach new heights of activity over the next three days.
This minicamp stands a milestone for where the Commanders are
and where they need to go in training camp. Here are three things to keep an eye on as we move into the summer:
Jayden Daniels progress
Commanders quarterback was under center for 32 dropbacks in two seasons, by far the lowest in the NFL during that span. Let’s be honest, Kliff Kingsbury’s offense is rooted in college concepts.
That doesn’t make Kingbury’s system bad, it simply was what it was. It’ll be far different under new coordinator David Blough, who will presumptively install a system somewhat similar to what Ben Johnson ran when they were together in Detroit and runs now in Chicago.
Daniels is confident that he can execute an under-center offense and has performed well doing that this spring, but he’s the lynchpin to Washington’s entire operation. If he can perform in this new system, we should see something similar to what Caleb Williams did in Chicago. I was there, with boots on the ground, for the Bears’ 2025 campaign. I believe Daniels is capable of what Williams did or better in what we expect from Blough’s scheme.
Expect some growing pains, but signs of progress should be evident during this minicamp.
Sonny Styles taking control
It’s entirely possible that we’re harvesting low-hanging fruit here, but keeping a close eye on the No. 7 overall NFL draft pick isn’t a bad idea. Sonny Styles is one of those dudes, with a legit perfect Relative Athletic Score, someone seemingly destined to make an instant impact.
While he doesn’t play a premium position, he plays an essential one, as middle linebacker and field general for everything the Commanders will do on defense. He’s as fast as the safety position he played at Ohio State, yet as physical as the linebacker spot he now occupies, a rare combination that should make him a weapon in Washington.
The green dot conversation has been discussed ad nauseum, but I think we can all agree it’s beneficial if Styles just takes the gig.
He has so much room to grow and is far from being a Commanders captain, but fans should see a step in leadership and schematic understanding in this minicamp. The better he is at this stage, the better he’ll be in the summer and the fall.
Non-Terry McLaurin WR options
It’s borderline assumed that the Commanders will add someone to the receiver group before Washington starts playing for keeps. Brandon Aiyuk is the natural assumption, with his 49ers connection to GM Adam Peters and the fact he can’t stop wearing Commanders gears in his Instagram posts. One issue: he’s still under San Francisco’s control. It seems highly unlikely the Commanders acquire him without a trade, but it’s plain to see that he’s a bit erratic.
Stefon Diggs is also on the market and could come home to the DMV, but that’s super far from certain at this stage.
The Commanders currently employ Terry McLaurin, an elite athlete and obvious No. 1 receiver. There’s Treylon Burks behind him, with Luke McCaffrey and third-round rookie Antonio Williams in the mix.
There should be focus on these non-McLaurin receivers and how they fare. The Commanders front office will likely do the same as they decide whether to spend on a free agent or pursue Aiyuk in trade or to secure the asset after San Francisco inevitably releases him.
