Projecting the Commanders' Week 1 Starters After the NFL Draft (Surprises Included)

The NFL Draft has come and gone in a flurry, and many teams view themselves as having improved. The Washington Commanders had a clear vision for how they shaped their roster not only in the draft, but also in free agency, and it is finally starting to come together, where we can envision who will be starting for the team come Week 1 of the 2026-27 NFL season.

Here is who we see starting for Commanders when they get things kicked off:

Quarterback: Jayden Daniels

Not much to discuss here. Jayden Daniels is, and will be, the franchise QB.

Running Back: Jacory Croskey-Merritt/Rachaad White

The Commanders' running back room is stacked at the moment, especially with recently drafted Kaytron Allen being added to the mix. However, we fully expect second-year back Jacory Croskey-Merritt to lead the way, but we could see this changed based on the matchup, which is why we also gave a nod to Rachaad White.

Wide Receiver: Terry McLaurin, Treylon Burks, Antonio Williams (Slot)

McLaurin is clear as the WR1 for the Commanders, but things can get a bit dicey after him unless the team decides to add to the room. With that said, we should fully expect rookie Antonio Williams to take over slot duties from Luke McCaffrey, with Treylon Burks getting the first shot at holding down the WR2 position as he looks to buck the "bust" label currently placed on him.

Tight End: Chig Okonkwo

Okonkwo is the tight end No. 1 in Washington, taking the spot of Zach Ertz. While Ben Sinnott and John Bates have shown flashes, they won't provide the offense with what Okonkwo can.

Offensive Line: Laremy Tunsil, Chris Paul, Nick Allegretti, Sam Cosmi, Josh Conerly Jr.

Tunsil, Paul, Cosmi, and Conerly Jr. are the shoe-ins here for the Commanders' offensive line. We are still a bit concerned with how the center position will look for Washington, but we decided to go with continuity here with Allegretti sliding over from his guard spot to become the starting center. However, don't be surprised if rookie Matt Gulbin ends up the starter or becomes the starter at some point during the season.

Defensive Line: Jer'Zhan Newton, Daron Payne, Tim Settle

In defensive coordinator Daronte Jones' 3-4 system, the trenches will feature two tackles with a nose. We have veteran Daron Payne being an obvious candidate to start alongside free agent nose tackle Tim Settle, being the centerpiece. Where things might differ for us compared to the Commanders is that we are expecting Jer'Zhan Newton to take that next step and start over Javon Kinlaw.

Outside Linebacker: Odafe Oweh, K'Lavon Chaisson

The two free agent pass rushers, Odafe Oweh and K'Lavon Chaisson, are expected to take on expanded roles from their previous stops, becoming full-time starters rather than rotational pieces. Their presence, along with the selection of Joshua Josephs in the NFL Draft, will move Dorance Armstrong and Javontae Jean-Baptiste to rotational roles.

Inside Linebacker: Leo Chenal, Sonny Styles

The Commanders have a nice two-deep linebacker core with Leo Chenal, Frankie Luvu, Jordan Magee, and rookie Sonny Styles, but that makes it a bit more difficult to establish the starters. Within the new defensive scheme, Washington will likely just be running two middle linebackers, and with Luvu starting to age, we can see them going with the younger, more versatile Styles to pair with Chenal as the starters.

Cornerback: Mike Sainristil, Trey Amos, Amik Robertson (Nickel)

This one was easy. Both Mike Sainristil and Trey Amos, as long as he's rehabbed properly from his season-ending injury, should see big roles at corner for the Commanders. Free agent acquisition Amik Robertson will hold down the fort at nickel.

Safety: Nick Cross, Will Harris

Much like at inside linebacker, the Commanders will have a two-deep rotation at safety. However, it is fully expected that Nick Cross will be one safety who will likely play more in the box, while Will Harris roams the open field on the backend.

Special Teams: Tress Way, Jake Moody

Obviously, Tress Way, right. However, the bigger concern is at the kicker spot. The Commanders have had struggles in this area for years now, but found something with Jake Moody towards the end of last season. We have Moody starting for the Commanders, but they also brought in competition in the form of former Iowa Hawkeyes kicker Drew Stevens. Moody, a veteran, should win that competition.

Overall: The Commanders' roster shouldn't have many areas where it will be difficult to figure out what to do when it comes to who is starting and who won't be. The question marks for that will arise in the wide receiver room, at center, along the defensive front, and at middle linebacker. However, we fully expect the team to rotate guys in and out throughout the year, so snap counts and who's starting from week to week will likely blur the lines of who is a starter and who isn't.

Add us as a preferred source on Google