3 Commanders Players Rising Fast After OTAs (And 2 Already on the Roster Bubble)

Organized Team Activities (OTAs) aren't just warmups—they are the first real battleground for a reconstructed roster. Let's look at three players forcing their way up the depth chart, and two veterans suddenly feeling the squeeze.

Dyami Brown is turning heads at Commanders OTAs | HTTR4LIFE LLC

With voluntary OTAs in the books for the 2026 Washington Commanders, it's time to stop and see where we are with this 90-man group with a good old-fashioned stock-up, stock-down post. Now, with training still several weeks away, this is the time of the year for players to get a firm grasp of where they stand before the pads come out.

Stock Up: RB Kaytron Allen

Without doubt, one of the players who has benefited the most from the OTA sessions is fifth-round draft pick running back Kaytron Allen. Penn State's all-time leading rusher has been turning heads at practice. With first-year offensive coordinator David Blough looking to shift the offense towards a more-play-action type of offense, the bruising style Allen (or Fatman, as his friends call him) could be the perfect back to partner with Jacory 'Bill' Croskey-Merrit as a thunder/lightning type of duo.

Allen gained 4,180 yards on 769 attempts (5.4 a carry) and had 39 touchdowns to go with 70 catches for 490 yards with 4 touchdowns receiving across 54 games in college. Make no mistake about it, he's here to compete. With Blough wanting his offense to dictate games early and often via the ground game, Allen's power profile is putting others on the roster at the position on notice.

Stock Up: WR Dyami Brown

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— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) June 10, 2026

With WR2 possibly the biggest question mark (at least nationally) surrounding the team, the player separating himself from the others is Dyami Brown. The fact that Brown has an edge over others shouldn't come as much of a surprise, as he and Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels already had chemistry built during the 2024 season, capped by a playoff run in which Brown flashed near-elite long-ball skills. One season removed and those two have found each other again, and guys on the beat are noticing, like Monumnental Sport Network's Mitchell Tischler, who is saying "Dyami Brown is probably your number 2 receiver at this point" on his broadcast show, or former Redskins WR Santana Moss, who said, "He's back, and he's ready. We saw what he did two years ago when he was here with JD. I know JD's loving him back, too." Commanders Head Coach Dan Quinn added, "Dyami coming back here, there's maybe a quicker connection that takes place with somebody that you had familiarity with. I probably saw that maybe faster than I even expected in some of the spaces." Keep an eye on Dyami as the team shifts to training camp this summer.

Stock Up: TE Chig Okonkwo

Chig Okonkwo is going to catch a bunch of people off guard this year who like to statbox-analyze the rosters. After starting his career stuck on the island that Tennessee has become for talent, Chig is now in an offense that will cater to his needs in terms of feeding him the ball, which he should see a heavy dose of in 2026. His stock is on fire right now, so much so that if he were cryptocurrency, it would be too late to buy in at this point.

John Bates is likely the best blocking tight end in the game, who can also catch passes. Ben Sinnott is a utility knife that Blough hopefully will utilize more this year, but Okonkwo is the vertical threat with an uncapped ceiling that Blough is really looking for as a top-tier weapon in his new system. Without a doubt, McLaurin is still the top target on the team, but that offense will rise and shine with JD to Chig, which should take some pressure off Terry in the process.

Stock Down: RB Jerome Ford

While there hasn't really been a name that has fallen in terms of overall stock, the fact that the running back room is so stacked, and Allen is starting to stand out, along with Rachaad White showing his speed and receiving skills coming out of the backfield, and the walls are starting to close in a bit on Jerome Ford. Still a lot of time in between what could be his chance to shine in the burgundy & gold, or finding a spot on the practice squad/another team.

Stock Down: WR Van Jefferson

At the same time, with Dyami surging, Van Jefferson has probably also seen his stock shift a bit at no fault of his own. That receiver room is so deep it's hard to gauge until they get some live gametime settings. It's not that Jefferson doesn't have that crafty veteran thing going for him; it's just that towards the bottom of that depth chart are several capable and more speedy options who can likely create more separation in the process.

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