Commanders check-in: Who’s up, who’s down three weeks into training camp

The Washington Commanders are near the midpoint of the preseason ahead of the second joint practice and game at the Miami Dolphins. While quarterback Jayden Daniels has excelled, there are reminders all over the field that the franchise is at the beginning of a rebuild and has modest expectations for this season.

With less than four weeks until the season opener at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, here’s a look at the standouts and disappointments, the strongest and weakest groups, position battles and other lingering questions.

Jayden Daniels

The quarterback has impressed with his understanding of the scheme, his ability to diagnose the defense and his talent for protecting the ball. Those traits (and his moxie) were on display in the preseason opener when he audibled from a screen to vertical routes on third down without permission and hit a 42-yard gain.

Coaches and teammates have gushed about Daniels over the first couple of weeks. The question is whether he can sustain this high level of play and protect himself over a long season.

Other camp standouts

- Offensive tackle Brandon Coleman

Coleman was one of the bigger mysteries going into camp - for coaches and fans - and the stakes were high, given the Commanders’ need at left tackle. Although the sample size is minimal and doesn’t include any work against another opponent because of a shoulder/pectoral injury that sidelined Coleman against the Jets, he has impressed with his ability to play both right and left tackle. It’s no surprise the rookie tops the unofficial depth chart at left tackle.

“Anything we ask Brandon to do, he’s shown up and he’s tried it,” offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury said. “A lot of times with young rookies, they’re used to a certain technique that may not be able to work at this level, and so you got to adjust it. And he’s tried to do it exactly how we’ve coached, and he’s a tremendous athlete and works his tail off.”

- Wide receiver Dyami Brown

Brown, like many of the other holdovers from the previous coaching staff, had plenty to prove. He doesn’t have the body of work of Terry McLaurin and wasn’t a first-round pick like Jahan Dotson. His highlight in Washington really has just been his two-touchdown game against the Tennessee Titans in 2022.

But Brown has shown speed and deep-threat ability repeatedly, making his 42-yard catch against the Jets a mere exclamation point on a great camp. His connection with Daniels appears to be strong, too, a development Brown attributes, in part, to their work in the offseason at the University of Oregon.

- Defensive back Mike Sainristil

The Commanders thought they got a steal in Sainristil when they drafted him in the second round with the 50th pick. Although he had just two years of experience at defensive back at Michigan, he plays more like a veteran, with a clear command of defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr.’s system and an aggressiveness befitting of a team coached by Dan Quinn. Sainristil will be the starting nickelback, playing inside when the team uses five defensive backs, but his role and ability are more expansive. He can play safety, he can blitz, he can drop in the box, and he can play outside at cornerback.

Disappointments

- Offensive line

The battered unit has not even reached its low expectations. Only two starters, center and left guard, haven’t missed time, and injuries have hit the already thin tackle group hard. The offensive line requires cohesion - especially if the unit is at a talent deficit - and Quinn acknowledged it’s fair to question whether injuries have prevented the unit from jelling.

He pointed out Monday the return of right tackle Andrew Wylie from a vague “tightness” injury would help the communication. “To have Wylie back into the process here this week - that’s a big deal,” Quinn said.

- Wide receiver Jahan Dotson

Dotson has started slow while trying to rebound from a sophomore slump. He led skill players in snaps against the Jets (32) and didn’t impress with his three targets, catching one screen, bobbling one ball and falling down on a vertical route.

- Cornerback Emmanuel Forbes Jr.

Though he has taken most of the starter reps and though he has had good battles with McLaurin, the 2023 first-round pick doesn’t seem to have made significant progress from his disastrous rookie season. His future with the club is in question.

Strongest group

- The box

The additions of Frankie Luvu and Bobby Wagner give the linebacking corps an instant upgrade. Coupled with a defensive line that still features Daron Payne and Jonathan Allen inside and potential hybrid defensive backs such as Jeremy Chinn and Sainristil, Washington’s defense is now loaded with speed and playmakers in the middle of the field.

Weakest group

- Offensive tackles

Can’t overstate the concerns with the top four tackles. Coleman (pectoral/shoulder) is a rookie; Wylie was uneven last season; swing tackle Cornelius Lucas is 33, and while he excels as a pass blocker, his limited mobility shows up in the running and screen games; and depth tackle Trent Scott has struggled in all facets with his increased reps.

Positional battles to watch

- Final wide receiver spots

McLaurin, Dotson, Brown and Luke McCaffrey seem sure to make the roster, potentially leaving a couple of spots up for grabs among eight options (maybe nine if the Commanders sign Martavis Bryant, who will work out with the team Tuesday, according to a person with knowledge of the tryout). One of those spots could be determined by special teams ability.

- Safety depth

The Commanders have a lot of versatile players in the secondary, and finding room for all of them will be impossible. The list of those vying to join Chinn and Quan Martin in the safeties room: Darrick Forrest, Jeremy Reaves, Percy Butler, Tyler Owens, Dominique Hampton and Ben Nikkel. Special teams will be key here, too.

- Kicker

If anything is clear, it is that the Commanders’ kicker to start Week 1 isn’t on the roster. Ramiz Ahmed and Riley Patterson have struggled in every outing, missing short and long kicks. The team may keep both until rosters are pared and they have more options on the waiver wire. (Washington is No. 2 in the claiming order.)

Don’t sleep on …

- Linebacker Jordan Magee, wide receiver Brycen Tremayne and safety Tyler Owens

These three young players could be part of the future. Magee, a fifth-round choice whom an executive called “the ultimate organizational pick,” has taken first-team reps in three-linebacker sets. (He hurt his knee against the Jets and will be out at least a week, Quinn said.)

Tremayne and Owens, undrafted free agents fighting for spots, have repeatedly made plays in camp. Tremayne, who is 6-foot-4, has been a valuable target down the field, and Owens, an athletic safety, made a tremendous special teams tackle against the Jets.

Lingering questions

- Does Daniels have enough help?

The offensive line has concerns with its starting tackles and depth. The receiving corps lacks a bigger target. And the tight end play could be dependent on Zach Ertz’s health, which has been troubling in recent seasons.

- How many Ron Rivera draft picks make the 53-man roster?

The list of holdovers likely to make the roster dwindles as camp progresses. The entire draft class of 2020 is already gone. At this point, only about seven Rivera picks - Sam Cosmi, Benjamin St-Juste, Brown, John Bates, Dotson, Brian Robinson Jr. and Martin - over the past three years seem likely to be here when the roster is formed. Others, including 2021 first-round pick Jamin Davis, are on the bubble.

- Who will handle kickoff returns?

The Commanders are still experimenting. They used a rotation of wide receivers - Davion Davis, Kazmeir Allen and Byron Pringle - in the preseason opener, but cornerback Noah Igbinoghene sits atop the depth chart at kickoff returner and the team has tried many others during camp.