Kaytron Allen Wants to Prove he's More Than Just a Bruiser; Josh Conerly Looks Leaner & Stronger

Welcome to today's Commanders Daily, your number one place for Burgundy and Gold news links. Below, we’ve rounded up the top stories and essential Commanders news updates from around the web. Simply tap or click any headline to open the full article in a new tab and dive deeper into the latest from Washington.

OTA notebook | Defense shows speed, McCaffrey and Burks stand out

Veteran Treylon Burks is another receiver who continues to stand out. Burks made a pair of impressive grabs during last week's OTA practice, and the former first-round pick was at it again with a tough sideline catch where he managed to get his knee in bounds. Burks has an ideal NFL frame at 6-foot-2 and 225 pounds. If the receiving room does end up staying the same for the regular season, it would be ideal if he managed to emerge as a No. 2 option for the offense. Burks showed some flashes in a limited role last season, so the hope is that a full offseason in the building will help make those highlight plays become more common.

Commanders undrafted rookie is torching OTAs like his career depends on it

Team writer Zach Selby pinpointed a moment at OTAs that shouldn't go overlooked by fans. Jaden Bradley has the size to be a force, and he knows it. When he secured an outstanding contested catch over veteran Antonio Hamilton Sr., there was one cheerleader above all else leading the celebrations.

It was none other than Terry McLaurin.

"Undrafted free agent Jaden Bradley made a contested catch over Antonio Hamilton Sr., and [Terry] McLaurin was the loudest person on the field cheering for him. "I told you the ball would find you!" McLaurin said after Bradley made the sideline grab."

100 days to the 2026 NFL season: Predictions, injuries, more

Five underrated rookies

Antonio Williams, WR, Washington Commanders
Outside of Terry McLaurin, the Commanders don't have a dependable threat in their receiving corps. That should leave Williams with a lot of opportunities in the team's new look under offensive coordinatorDavid Blough. He will likely play mostly in the slot, where his route running and shifty playmaking ability can shine.

Kaytron Allen wants to prove he's more than just a bruiser

"I'm excited to show the world what I can really do," Kaytron Allen told Commanders host Bryan Colbert Jr. on the latest episode of "Raising Hail with the rookies." "I feel like I haven't shown everything I can really do."

To be fair, Allen was better than most running backs in college football at filling the physical role. He had back-to-back 1,100-yard seasons with 23 touchdowns in his final two years with Penn State. He faced heavy boxes (more than seven defenders) on 27% of his carries, the most in his class, in 2025 and still averaged 4.8 yards per carry. Only 11% of his runs failed to gain yardage, which is impressive when considering the nearly 16 touches he averaged per game.

Commanders' Josh Conerly looks leaner and stronger in 2026

"Honestly, I'm still around the same weight, like 310-315. I did cut a heavy amount after the season because I ended the season at like 318 or something around there. I was pretty fat, so I cut down a lot of body fat and added some muscle, I guess."

How did he do that, though?

"Dieting, eating a lot cleaner, eating a little less, and once we got back out here, I feel like I can just add more and more."

Laremy Tunsil has allowed just 1 pressure in 40 matchups against Myles Garrett since 2018, the lowest pressure rate (2.5%) allowed to Garrett over that time frame (min. 40 matchups).#CLEvHOU | #WeAreTexans pic.twitter.com/w44eEr0JPZ
— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) January 12, 2024

Commanders Roster Battles: How Washington’s Crowded Backfield Depth Chart Shapes Up

Blough's vision for the Commanders' offense appears to favor increased pre-snap movement, prioritizing quarterback protection by keeping Daniels under center frequently, and leaning more on the run game. That lays the table for running back to play a larger role in Washington's offense in 2026.

Daron Payne discusses Commanders future, Washington 2026 season at OTAs

Are the Commanders going to keep Payne in Washington beyond this season? That question was posed to Payne by on-site reporter after Tuesday’s OTA season.

Has the team engaged in contract talks about a possible extension?

“Not that I know of,” Payne said.

He was also asked if he’d like to get an extension before training camp ends, and the veteran sidestepped it.

“I’m just playing football,” Payne said. “I’m hopeful for my next day to wake and do what I love.”

Terry McLaurin isn’t dwelling on last season’s setbacks; he’s learning from them

One week after Laremy Tunsil’s surprise participation in the initial OTA session, Washington’s left tackle was not part of Tuesday’s practice. Tunsil was expected to pop in and out ahead of the three-day mandatory minicamp (June 16-18).

'A remarkable offseason': McLaurin showing confidence, leadership in Commanders OTAs

There are still some added wrinkles to McLaurin's routine. He and the rest of the Commanders are learning a new offense led by coordinator David Blough after being in Kliff Kingsbury's Air Raid scheme. Not much is known about the specifics of Blough's offense, which is how the Commanders like it, but McLaurin did say there is some multiplicity in the system that allows players to be moved around to create better matchups. This is a departure from Kingsbury's system, which had McLaurin line up on the left of the offensive formation on nearly every play.

Wednesday work 📈@bigbearai | #RaiseHail pic.twitter.com/gzBOw3j9OU
— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) June 3, 2026

Arrest warrant issued for Brandon Aiyuk in connection with misdemeanor speeding charge

The warrant comes after the Santa Clara Police Department launched an investigation into a video that Aiyuk posted online in December 2025 of himself driving more than 100 miles per hour down a street near Levi’s Stadium, where the 49ers play home games and where their team operations and training facility are located. The police sent the case to the district attorney’s office on Jan. 15, a spokesperson for the DA’s office said.

Commanders roster battle takes early turn after veteran refuses to fade away

Jake Moody is turning the screw. According to Mitchell Tischler of Monumental Sports Network, the Ohio State product made all seven of his field goal attempts, including from 58 yards. Drew Stevens was less impressive, making 5-of-7. He missed from 49 and 54 yards, but made his 58-yard effort.

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