A Commanders' rookie could win a starting job with a big game on Monday night

The Washington Commanders left their first preseason game of the season with a bad taste in their mouth and plenty of lessons to take home from their visit with the New England Patriots.

When they got back to work, head coach Dan Quinn reminded everyone that the preseason isn’t about being perfect, it’s about finding out where you are and where you need to go, and then taking the steps necessary to get there. For the Commanders, the next step is testing what they’ve been working on this Monday night against the Cincinnati Bengals.

That is the goal as a team; for individual players, the aim is to show or continue showing that you not only belong on an NFL field, but in the starting lineup for Washington football.

“The first preseason game had plenty of ugly for Washington, but it was not without its positives,” NFL.com’s Eric Edholm wrote recently. “CB Trey Amos has been one of camp’s bright spots, and he stood tall in his NFL debut. Another strong performance against Cincinnati could secure a major role, even starting, for the rookie second-rounder. The rest of this game should be about identifying depth roles at some thinner positions (including wide receiver, because of injury and Terry McLaurin's hold-in) and prepping young standouts such as Amos and first-round OT Josh Conerly Jr. for Week 1 duty.”

Washington Commanders cornerback Trey Amos (23) participates in a drill. | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

The Trey Amos Audition

Amos has been a “bright spot” throughout the offseason and into the preseason and looks every bit like the long, rangy cornerback he was advertised to be as a second-round pick in the NFL Draft.

His football IQ is taking center stage at times as well, and just this week there was a rep that saw the rookie man his short zone area of the field but break off when he detected a deeper pass was imminent, getting there just in time to deflect the pass before it reached the receiver.

That kind of performance is just one example of what Amos has done to impress so many. If he can show that, along with competitive consistency, poise, and playmaking ability on Monday night, then he may very well secure the starting job he’s already leading the race to get.

Washington Commanders offensive tackle Josh Conerly Jr. (72). | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Conerly's Road to Week 1

Of course, Amos isn’t the only rookie on display in these contests. First-round offensive tackle Josh Conerly Jr. has really stabilized after an up-and-down start to his training camp and appears to be growing with every practice.

He had a solid preseason debut against the New England Patriots, starting at right tackle opposite left tackle Laremy Tunsil, and will look to continue that performance against the Bengals in Week 2.

With this game being considered the dress rehearsal for many NFL teams, getting as many solid blocking reps in as possible will be the key to Conerly proving to the Commanders that he’s ready for regular-season Week 1 work.

Washington Commanders wide receiver Jaylin Lane (83). | Eric Canha-Imagn Images

The Logjam at Wide Receiver

The starters will get most of the buzz and attention, of course, but the real story in the preseason is the chance to identify and evaluate depth. For Washington this year, the receiver is a particularly interesting group to watch from this standpoint.

At the top, we have Terry McLaurin, Deebo Samuel, and Noah Brown, assuming each is healthy and happy to play with the contract they previously signed.

Behind them, however, there’s a logjam of players that include Luke McCaffrey, Jaylin Lane, Michael Gallup, KJ Osborn, and even undrafted free agent Ja’Corey Brooks. All are fighting for the final two or three active roster spots that will be dedicated to the group.

For each of them, Monday is a golden opportunity to show the coaches why they can’t afford not to have them on the field.

The Real Winners

So, on Monday night, don’t just look at the scoreboard for signs of success. In this game, the points won’t truly identify the winners.

For that, you’ll have to look to the field and to some of the individual performances that can truly dictate who plays, who doesn’t, and how well equipped Washington is for its run in the 2025 NFL season.

Stick with CommanderGameday and the Locked On Commanders podcast for more FREE coverage of the Washington Commanders throughout the 2025 season.

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