Commanders Roster Bubble Players to Watch Heading Into 2026 OTAs

Bubble players may not be here to win a roster position in May, but they certainly need to prove they aren't easily replaced.

Jul 24, 2025; Ashburn, VA, USA; Washington Commanders safety Percy Butler (35) catches a ball during practice on day two of training camp at OrthoVirginia Training Center at Commanders Park. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

The 2026 Commanders have a roster that is clearly improved over the last two seasons. Not to say the roster doesn't have some question marks, because it does, but Adam Peters' rebuild is coming along in year three. The only downside to improving your roster is that the cutdown to 53 only gets tougher. That process pushes several players onto the roster bubble, even if they still have a realistic path to the final 53.

The list of players on the bubble currently includes several names I believe will make the team and are on my 53-man roster prediction (OTAs edition). Those players are WR Van Jefferson, S Percy Butler, OL Trent Scott, LB Nick Bellore, TE Colson Yankoff, S Tyler Owens, WR Dyami Brown, CB Ahkello Witherspoon, and RBs Jerome Ford and Jeremy McNichols.

When Washington added former Colts safety Nick Cross in free agency, they firmly placed Percy Butler and Tyler Owens on the roster bubble. Butler heads into OTAs with the advantage, but Owens is definitely a player who shows up in camp. Both bring value on special teams, so that roster battle could get interesting.

Before the team drafted running back Kaytron Allen, the idea was that Jerome Ford would compete in what looks to be a heavy rotation of backs heading into camp.

Now that Allen is on the roster, the pressure is turned up a bit for Ford. With Rachaad White also signed this offseason, Jeremy McNichols could be another player on the outside looking in, depending on how good he looks in OTAs.

The Commanders' receiver room is a bit cloudy once you get past Terry McLaurin on the depth chart. The team still does not have a clear-cut WR2, but it does have a crowded receiver room heading into OTAs. Van Jefferson, the crafty veteran free agent addition, needs a strong camp, and so does Dyami Brown, who re-signed in the offseason to a one-year deal. The receiver roster battle could go several different directions, and these two are right on the edge of it all. If Brown can find some consistency, the door is open for him to make the roster. His long-ball skills are worth further developing.

Next, special teams ace Nick Bellore is 37 years old, and offensive lineman Trent Scott is 32. The door is open for Kain Medrano to unseat Bellore. Lastly, tight end Colson Yankoff is in a position where his roster spot may depend on how many tight ends the team keeps. One thing in Yankoff's favor is his depth and special-teams value, which could keep him in the conversation.

The reality is that an improved roster means several players listed here could make the team, and some probably will. But as the Commanders' roster gets deeper, the final spots become more about special-teams value, versatility, and roster cost given available cap space, rather than name value or popularity. Bubble players may not be here to win a roster position in May, but they certainly need to prove they aren't easily replaced.

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