The Washington Commanders wrapped up their first week of training camp on Saturday. Washington enjoyed a day off on Sunday, but will return to the practice field on Monday, when the Commanders will be in pads for the first time.
Washington has dealt with some injuries early in camp, but fortunately none appear to be long-term issues. Tight end John Bates will be out "for a couple of weeks" after straining his hamstring. Center Nick Allegretti will miss around a week of practice after suffering a calf strain on Day 1. Wide receiver Treylon Burks missed Thursday's practice with foot soreness, but was back on the field Saturday.
These injuries create opportunities for others. They can also lead to the Commanders signing a free agent for depth. Do
any of these injuries impact Washington's potential 53-man roster? For now, probably not. But one week into camp seems like a good time to make our second 53-man roster projection.
Quarterback (3)
- Jayden Daniels
- Marcus Mariota
- Athan Kaliakmanis
We are sticking with three here. To be honest, only two have proven worthy of making the 53. Perhaps GM Adam Peters would be afraid to expose Kaliakmanis to waivers and lose him. It makes sense for the Commanders to keep three, with Daniels coming off an injury-plagued season for insurance. But that third guy may not be on the current roster. We can easily see Washington keeping only two, but history says it will be three.
Running back (4)
- Jacory Croskey-Merritt
- Rachaad White
- Kaytron Allen
- Jeremy McNichols
No changes here, and we don't think there will be any. All have flashed at some point in camp. We think the Commanders will keep four because McNichols offers value in multiple places, including on special teams.
Wide receiver (6)
- Terry McLaurin
- Dyami Brown
- Treylon Burks
- Luke McCaffrey
- Jaylin Lane
- Antonio Williams
We wrestled with seven here. McLaurin and Williams are 100% locks. Lane is close. McCaffrey, too, considering he's also a former draft pick and excels as a returner. Burks is talented and is having a good start to camp. Brown looks confident in his return to Washington and catching passes from Daniels. Van Jefferson is close to making it, as he's impressed the coaching staff since arriving in March. The biggest question here is will they sign Stefon Diggs?
Tight end (4)
- Chig Okonkwo
- John Bates
- Ben Sinnott
- Colson Yankoff
No changes here. The Commanders like Lawrence Cager, but there's no way they can keep five tight ends. Yankoff is No. 4, is having a great start to camp, and is excellent on special teams. Sinnott is also having a good start to camp. Bates' injury isn't long-term, so this group remains the same.
Offensive line (9)
- Laremy Tunsil
- Josh Conerly Jr.
- Sam Cosmi
- Nick Allegretti
- Chris Paul
- Brandon Coleman
- Matt Gulbin
- Andrew Wylie
- Trent Scott
This one gets tougher by the day. If Allegretti is 100% by next week, this becomes less of a worry. But can the Commanders go into the season with no backup center who has never taken a snap before? Coleman and Scott have worked some at center in practice, and Washington believes Coleman can play anywhere, but that would be incredible pressure to be thrown there in the middle of a game. I can see the Commanders keeping nine, but Gulbin could be on the practice squad if they sign another veteran center for depth. They did sign Trey Hill on Sunday, but it's not like he has a ton of experience either.
Defensive line (4)
- Daron Payne
- Tim Settle
- Javon Kinlaw
- Johnny Newton
No changes here. These four are locks, barring a surprising trade. The defensive line has looked good early in camp.
Edge (5)
- Odafe Oweh
- K’Lavon Chaisson
- Dorance Armstrong
- Charles Omenihu
- Joshua Josephs
This unit, led by Oweh, has looked outstanding early, too. Armstrong should return soon. Chaisson is also having a good start, but has been overshadowed by Oweh. Josephs is the talented rookie who will look to carve out a defined role as an edge rusher off the bench.
Linebacker (5)
- Frankie Luvu
- Sonny Styles
- Leo Chenal
- Jordan Magee
- Kain Medrano
The big change here is Medrano replaces Nick Bellore. A special-teams stalwart, Bellore will be missed. There was a numbers crunch with him, though, because he did not play on defense. Medrano can be a reserve linebacker while also contributing to each special-teams unit. The coaches like Medrano's speed.
Cornerback (5)
- Mike Sainristil
- Trey Amos
- Amik Robertson
- Rasul Douglas
- Ahkello Witherspoon
Amos has yet to practice, but he should return soon. In the meantime, Douglas, who signed last month, was the talk of camp last week. He stood out in every practice. Is it possible that the Commanders only keep four corners? I don't think so. There are too many questions to only keep four. This group has looked solid in camp without Amos. Daronte Jones' scheme and an improved pass rush should help in a major way.
Safety (5)
- Quan Martin
- Nick Cross
- Will Harris
- Jeremy Reaves
- Tyler Owens
This is another tough one. It will be hard to keep Percy Butler off the roster. He provides depth, he's fast, but most importantly, he's one of the team's better special-teams players. Reaves, of course, is a former All-Pro on special teams and is a quality backup safety, too. Martin, Cross and Harris figure to be the top three, while Owens is one of the roster's most intriguing players. His size, speed and physicality are why the coaches love him. You can see Jones experimenting with him on defense early in camp. There's a real battle here, but I can't justify keeping six, so Butler is the odd man out.
Special teams (3)
- K Jake Moody
- P Tress Way
- LS Tyler Ott
While we initially had undrafted rookie Drew Stevens beating out Jake Moody, we've changed our prediction — for now. Moody has been ahead throughout the first week, although it's close. The competition is good for Moody, a former third-round pick. Either way, the Commanders like how this battle has played out so far.
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Commanders 53-man projection: Who's in, out after Week 1 of camp?
