Commanders Mailbag: Which Training Camp Battle Will Be the Fiercest?

The Washington Commanders have plenty of camp battles worth watching, but edge rusher and running back may bring the fiercest competition.

Washington Commanders edge rusher K'Lavon Chaisson works at minicamp. | Kourtney Carroll/Washington Commanders

We want to hear from you! Each week, we invite you, the Burgundy and Gold faithful, to send in your Commanders' questions about everything going on in Ashburn/Landover. We want to make sure everyone gets a chance to have their take heard in the HTTR4LIFE Mailbag, so that questions will be answered on either Monday or Friday, depending on the volume of responses each week.

You can send your Washington Commanders questions for the HTTR4LIFE Mailbag to hailbng+mailbag@gmail.com.

The Commanders' mailbag has been a little empty over the last couple of weeks, but we wanted to make sure we respond to everyone who takes the time to send questions in. That said, this week's question comes from Ed Helinski from Auburn, New York.

In your estimation, which position group will have the fiercest competition during Commanders training camp?

via Ed Helinski - Auburn, NY

Heading into training camp, the Commanders have several notable position group battles. I would say the fiercest would come down to either the edge rushers or the running back room.

The Edge Rotation: Sorting Out an Insulated Pass Rush

Washington Commanders edge rusher Odafe Oweh at minicamp. | Kourtney Carroll/Washington Commanders

Washington added Odafe Oweh, K’Lavon Chaisson, Charles Omenihu, and drafted Joshua Josephs to a room that already included Dorance Armstrong, Andre Carter II, Drake Jackson, T.J. Maguranyanga, Deatrich Wise Jr., and Javontae Jean-Baptiste. Armstrong is returning from an ACL injury with a lot to prove in the last year of his deal. While Jean-Baptiste appears to be under the most pressure to begin camp, Jackson and Carter are not far behind.

That leaves you with Maguranyanga, who is part of the IPP program and can be carried on the roster as an exemption unless he makes the final 53, and Wise as an unknown wildcard. Omenihu and Oweh have proved in the past they can line up from several spots along the defensive front and be effective.

Washington has a good collection of guys who can get after the quarterback. Of course, it will all come down to how new defensive coordinator Daronte Jones wants to use them.

The Backfield Logjam: Fighting for Reps Behind the Starters

Jacory "Bill" Croskey-Merritt 11 CAR, 105 YDS, 2 TDs vs DAL Today.🎄pic.twitter.com/1Mzbs39HBW https://t.co/nKuT7PFmgr

— Football Performances (@NFLPerformances) December 25, 2025

The running back room is just as crowded as it is talented. Each spot hits from a different angle. Jacory 'Bill' Croskey-Merritt, Kaytron Allen, Rachaad White, Jeremy McNichols, Jerome Ford, and UDFA Robert Henry Jr. make up the running back room.

Bill and McNichols are the only two backs returning from last season as the team overhauled the position. White was the biggest-value signing of the offseason and has some real speed and receiving ability. Kaytron Allen will surprise those who think he is only a short-yardage back.

Overall, the room should be much deeper in 2026, but at the moment there is a bit of a logjam. Once the starter emerges, this battle should be easier to map out. But it should be an interesting battle getting there.

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