Projecting the Commanders Depth Chart and 53-Man Roster After the Draft

After making six picks and signing eight undrafted free agents, the 2026 NFL Draft is in the past for the Washington Commanders.

The Commanders had a busy offseason, starting with a thrilling free agency, and have put together one of the more highly thought of rookie classes with their selections in the NFL Draft.

The floor has most definitely been raised in Washington, but we still aren't 100 percent sure how things will come together until offseason workouts and activities get fully underway. With those events down the line, we examined how the Commanders' depth chart will look with their newest additions while also projecting their 53-man roster.

Offense

Position	Starter	2nd Team	3rd Team	Depth
QB	Jayden Daniels	Marcus Mariota	Sam Hartman	Athan Kaliakmanis
RB	Jacory Croskey-Merritt	Rachaad White	Jerome Ford	Jeremy McNichols/Kaytron Allen/Robert Henry
WR1	Terry McLaurin	Dyami Brown	Van Jefferson	Ja'Corey Brooks/Chris Hilton Jr.
WR2	Treylon Burks	Jaylin Lane	Jacoby Jones	Jaden Bradley
WR3 (Slot)	Antonio Williams	Luke McCaffrey	Nick Nash
TE	Chig Okonkwo	John Bates	Ben Sinnott	Colson Yankoff/Lawrence Cager/Quentin Moore
LT	Laremy Tunsil	Brandon Coleman	Foster Sarell
LG	Chris Paul	Timothy McKay	Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu	Tanoa Togiai
C	Nick Allegretti	Julian Good-Jones	Matt Gulbin
RG	Sam Cosmi	Andrew Wylie	Tyler Cooper
RT	Josh Conerly Jr.	Trent Scott

Defense

Position	Starter	2nd Team	3rd Team	Depth
DT/DE	Javon Kinlaw	Charles Omenihu	Deatrich Wise Jr.
NT	Tim Settle	DJ Davidson	Shy Tuttle
DT	Daron Payne	Jer'Zhan Newton	Ricky Barber	Jeffrey M'ba
LOLB	Odafe Oweh	Dorance Armstrong	Drake Jackson	T.J. Maguranyanga/Andre Carter II
WLB	Leo Chenal	Jordan Magee	Kain Medrano
MLB	Frankie Luvu	Sonny Styles	Ale Kaho	Nick Bellore
ROLB	K'Lavon Chaisson	Javontae Jean-Baptiste	Joshua Josephs	D.J. Johnson
CB	Trey Amos	Ahkello Witherspoon	Tre Hawkins III
SS	Nick Cross	Jeremy Reaves	Robert McDaniel	Malik Spencer
FS	Will Harris	Quan Martin	Percy Butler
CB	Mike Sainristil	Darius Rush	Car'lin Vigers	Fred Davis II
Nickel	Amik Robertson	Qwuantrezz Knight	Tyler Owens

Special Teams

Position	Starter	2nd Team	Depth
K	Jake Moody
P	Tress Way
LS	Tyler Ott
KR	Luke McCaffrey	Jeremy McNichols	Jaylin Lane
PR	Jaylin Lane	Antonio Williams

53-Man Roster Projection

Quarterback (2): Jayden Daniels, Marcus Mariota

Quarterback is simple to figure out for the Commanders. Daniels is the franchise QB, while Mariota provides the veteranship as the backup. Washington likely carries two quarterbacks, with either Hartman or Kaliakmanis being the emergency.

Running Back (3): Jacory Croskey-Merritt, Rachaad White, Jerome Ford

The running back room is overflowing in Washington, but three backs seem to be the right fit, with all providing different types of play out of the backfield. It was hard to leave Allen and McNichols off, but if one were to make the roster to join the likes of Croskey-Merritt, White, and Ford, I would give the edge to Allen.

Wide Receiver (7): Terry McLaurin, Treylon Burks, Antonio Williams, Luke McCaffrey, Dyami Brown, Jaylin Lane, Van Jefferson

One of the easier positions to identify on offense, the wide receiver room is starting to look filled out with solid production across the board and young talent to accompany it. The only way this changes moving forward is if the Commanders make a move in free agency or trade for Brandon Aiyuk.

Tight End (3): Chig Okonkwo, John Bates, Ben Sinnott

With Zach Ertz on the way out in free agency, the Commanders will move forward with playmaking tight end Chig Okonkwo as the starter, with Bates and Sinnott still playing vital roles in the offensive scheme under new offensive coordinator David Blough.

Offensive Line (10): Laremy Tunsil, Chris Paul, Nick Allegretti, Sam Cosmi, Josh Conerly Jr., Brandon Coleman, Andrew Wylie, Trent Scott, Julian Good-Jones, Matt Gulbin

The Commanders will allocate a ton of room to the trenches this season, as it is viewed as the one area that can single-handedly win you games. The offensive line is pretty much set, other than center. Drafting Gulbin to compete with veteran guard Nick Allegretti will be entertaining, but it will be good to also keep Julian Good-Jones on the roster as depth across the interior of the line.

Defensive Line & Pass Rush (12): Javon Kinlaw, Charles Omenihu, Daron Payne, Jer'Zhan Newton, Tim Settle, Odafe Oweh, Dorance Armstrong, K'Lavon Chaisson, Javontae Jean-Baptiste, Deatrich Wise Jr., Joshua Josephs, Shy Tuttle

Much like the OL, the Commanders will go heavy on the defensive line. New DC Daronte Jones loves to be multiple with his defense, and will demand a lot from his defensive line when it comes to getting into the backfield as well as dropping into coverage. The Commanders keep all the big names and guns here, showing a great combination of size, speed, and versatility.

Linebacker (4): Leo Chenal, Frankie Luvu, Sonny Styles, Jordan Magee

Washington is looking pretty nice in their linebacker room after taking Sonny Styles seventh overall, and will have one of the better off-all linebacking units in the league with these four. The Commanders could look to take a fifth here instead of keeping 12 on the defensive line if they want Kaho or Medrano for special team purposes.

Cornerback (5): Mike Sainristil, Trey Amos, Amik Robertson, Ahkello Witherspoon, Darius Rush

The cornerback room was pretty much set for the Commanders after free agency. The hope is for Sainristil to continue playing at a high level and for Amos to develop even further, coming off a tough injury that shortened his rookie year. The additions of Robertson and Witherspoon give them proven production, and Rush will be game-day depth.

Safety (4): Nick Cross, Will Harris, Quan Martin, Jeremy Reaves

Perhaps the easiest decision when it comes to the defensive side of the ball, the Commanders should feel comfortable with just carrying two-deep at the safety positions. Cross and Harris will likely start, but depending on matchups and game plans, Martin and Reaves will likely see plenty of snaps as well.

Special Teams (3): Tress Way, Jake Moody, Tyler Ott

Special teams is fairly straightforward, as all should be guaranteed spots on the 53-man roster barring anything crazy.

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