Commanders Roster Battles: New Arrivals Shake Up Linebacker Depth Chart

Rebuilt, crowded, and unapologetic. We look at how the arrival of proven veterans and premium rookies has completely erased the safe paths for Washington’s depth linebackers.

Oct 5, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Washington Commanders linebacker Frankie Luvu (4) runs on field before the game against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Adam Peters made it a point to improve the linebacker room this offseason. Now, the Washington Commanders no longer look like a team trying to get by with a couple of established names and a handful of developmental options.

That is why the linebacker position is one to pay attention to when training camp opens next month. While it is true that the top is easier to sort out these days, the bottom certainly is not. The pressure went up on the back end of the room, and the level of competition jumped the moment the team signed Leo Chenal in free agency.

Going into the last year of his deal, Frankie Luvu remains at the top of the stack for Washington. In two seasons with the Commanders, Luvu has started all 34 games and recorded 185 tackles, 17 for loss, 54 hurries, 20 quarterback hits, 11 sacks, three forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries. Rookie Sonny Styles is now being viewed as the long-term answer in the middle of Washington’s defense, but for now, he's just another rookie heading into camp for the first time. Those two names alone will make offensive coordinators uneasy at night.

Bringing in two-time Super Bowl champion Leo Chenal adds another layer to this.

Commanders HC Dan Quinn spoke to the media before today's OTA. Some notes 📝:

On Frankie Luvu taking over more of a leadership role:

"What we've seen probably more is his communication and ability, play-calling of things that, you know, kind of were naturally deferred to Wags.… pic.twitter.com/UfRBVUvyic

— SleeperCommanders (@SleeperWSH) June 9, 2026

Leo Chenal Changes the Linebacker Math

Chenal brings something different to the table as a linebacker with the size, toughness, and versatility to fit a few jobs across the board. He can play downhill, help against the run, and give Washington another physical presence near the line of scrimmage. In 65 games with the Chiefs (44 starts), he logged 193 total tackles, 17 for loss, 30 hurries, seven sacks, and three forced fumbles.

None of that, of course, guarantees him a starting position on the field. What it does mean is that he will raise the level of competition for everyone around him, especially those already feeling the roster-math crunch.

Before the team signed Chenal, there was a much cleaner path for the younger linebackers on Washington's roster. Jordan Magee was viewed as a developmental piece waiting for more snaps behind Bobby Wagner. Kain Medrano and Ale Kaho were depth pieces with room to rise. Nick Bellore, of course, had his little section of the roster secure to be the special teams guy he is.

While those paths are still there, they have grown a bit more narrow in the process.

Signing Chenal brings another player who can shape the room and raises the standard for everyone else. He is no camp body.

Sonny Styles All-22 Film: Ohio State vs Texas 2025 pic.twitter.com/onNdGe4ssp

— Philip Hughes (@NFLFanzone) June 5, 2026

Jordan Magee Has More to Prove

Magee is by far the most interesting player affected by the new players coming aboard. He still brings athletic ability and upside to the equation. Magee’s chances of convincing the coaching staff he belongs in Washington’s future have not disappeared. But it is foolish to think the conversation around him has not changed. At this point, he's a young linebacker in a crowded room with real competition, trying to prove he has a clear role.

Nobody is looking for Magee to beat out Styles or Luvu. But on the way to proving himself to the new staff, he can carve out a situational/subpackage role and most certainly help out on special teams.

The Bubble Battle Comes Down to Special Teams

For the rest of the room, things could get a bit uncomfortable when the roster math starts working. Medrano, Kaho, and Bellore are not looking to headline the entire room; they just want to survive it. Given the current state of the roster, special teams will decide their fate. Linebackers at the bottom of the roster earn their paychecks through special teams, not as useful emergency defenders. The practice squad is for guys like that.

Bellore probably has the inside edge in that part of the conversation because of his special teams experience, although he will be 37 when the season starts. While coaches value an experienced special teams ace, the roster math may not support it. If one of the younger guys proves to the staff he can get the job done while offering upside in a role outside of teams, Bellore's roster math gets real foggy real quick.

For Kaho and Medrano, the challenge of making the roster lies at opposite ends: they have youth and the developmental edge, but they still have to prove they can be useful on the field.

Washington Has a Better Problem Than Before

This is a much better place for the Commanders to be than in years past. The linebacker room is now deep enough that every familiar name on the roster no longer feels safe from the competition that is standing right beside them. That is where training camp comes in.

Daronte Jones is looking for linebackers he can plug into his system, not players who look good on a depth chart. When he finds his guys, then we'll know how the bottom of the roster shakes out.

Adam Peters’ offseason additions have certainly strengthened the room.

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