The Washington Commanders have built a competitive roster through the NFL draft in recent years. Still, Washington entered this offseason with some major questions on the offensive line, quarterback, linebacker and cornerback.
The Commanders addressed some of those needs. How much better is Washington at those positions? With only three weeks until training camp, there’s unlikely to be any major acquisitions that shake up the depth chart. Therefore, the Commanders’ roster is set ahead of camp.
Washington believes it has a playoff team in 2023. Is that realistic? We rank every position group from strongest to weakest.
1. Defensive tackle
A few other teams, including the New York Giants, could make the claim they have the best defensive tackle duo in the NFL. We’d make the argument no pair is better than Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne. The pair combined for 34 tackles for loss. No other interior duo came close. Payne and Allen can wreck the pocket or dominate running lanes.
And for as good as Allen and Payne are, let’s not forget about Phidarian Mathis and John Ridgeway. Both players are entering their second season. Ridgeway flashed last season, while Mathis missed all but one game with a knee injury. Everyone is healthy ahead of training camp.
This isn’t only Washington’s best position group, but the best defensive tackle group in the NFL.
2. Defensive end
Much like with Payne and Allen at defensive tackle, the Commanders defensive ends are deep and talented. Montez Sweat and Chase Young are the starters. Both players could be in line for huge seasons in 2023. Sweat is an excellent player but has yet to post big sack numbers. Could this be the year? Young is healthy and looking to remind everyone why he was the NFL defensive rookie of the year in 2020.
Behind Young and Sweat are James Smith-Williams, Casey Toohill, Efe Obada and K.J. Henry. That’s outstanding depth. Smith-Williams has started a lot over the past two seasons and does everything well. Toohill has been successful in his role, while Obada was so good last season that the Commanders brought him back again in 2023. He can also play inside.
Henry is a talented fifth-round rookie who the team is excited about.
Young, Sweat, Smith-Williams, Toohill and Obada are all free agents in 2024. For one more season, Washington will benefit from outstanding depth here.
3. Wide receiver
Washington’s top three receivers, Terry McLaurin, Curtis Samuel and Jahan Dotson are an underrated group. McLaurin is a top-10 NFL wide receiver, while Samuel proved his worth last season. The Commanders should get even more from Samuel in 2023 under new offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy.
Dotson led the team in touchdown receptions despite missing five games last season. Almost everyone is predicting a breakout year for Dotson.
Then there is Dyami Brown. The former third-round pick showed his potential in a game against Tennessee last season, where he caught two touchdowns and finished with over 100 yards receiving. And now he gets to play with his former college quarterback.
This is a strong group.
4. Cornerback
We mentioned how Washington needed to upgrade the cornerback position, and it did. The Commanders selected Emmanuel Forbes at No. 16 overall, and he’ll be one of Washington’s top three cornerbacks with Kendall Fuller and Benjamin St-Juste. The Commanders will figure out who plays where, but there’s now plenty of depth and talent at cornerback. Washington needs St-Juste to stay healthy.
There is also second-round pick Quan Martin. He is expected to play the slot in 2023, but he can also play outside and line up at free safety. You can figure him into the mix at cornerback and safety.
5. Safety
One position where Washington is also strong is safety. Kamren Curl is back. Curl proved his value last season and is a candidate for an extension. Darrick Forrest was a breakout player for the Commanders last season. Then there is Martin, Jeremy Reaves and Percy Butler.
Reaves is an All-Pro special teamer and provides excellent depth at safety. Butler could be on the same trajectory as Forrest from last year. He is entering his second season and showed promise late in his rookie season.
6. Running back
The Commanders have a good stable of backs. Brian Robinson Jr. would’ve gone over 1,000 yards as a rookie had he not missed four games after being shot twice in the leg. Antonio Gibson can thrive if used properly, and Bieniemy will use Gibson more in space.
Gibson should have an expanded role in 2023. Then there is rookie Chris Rodriguez Jr. Former Washington GM Scot McCloughan had a second-round grade on Rodriguez. The Commanders had a third-round grade on Rodriguez. Bieniemy loves Rodriguez. Don’t be surprised if he gets some snaps as a rookie.
7. Tight end
There are plenty of questions here. Washington is banking a lot on Logan Thomas returning to his 2020 form. That’s a lot to ask, but Thomas looked healthy throughout the offseason. Losing Armani Rogers hurt this group’s potential. He was the most athletic player in the group, but Washington is pumped about Cole Turner. Turner, for the second straight offseason, was the talk of OTAs. Again, he needs to stay healthy.
There is also the reliable John Bates and another young, unproven player Curtis Hodges. There is some potential in this group, but a lot needs to go right.
8. Quarterback
There are plenty of reasons to be pessimistic here. There are also reasons to be optimistic. Jacoby Brissett was better than any Washington quarterback from 2022 and is the projected backup in 2023. Brissett can win games.
Sam Howell has loads of talent. Of course, the pessimism surrounding him is due to where he was drafted. Fair or not, that exists. Regardless of where Howell was drafted, he needs to prove himself. Washington’s coaches believe in him. Washington’s players believe in him. And after his performance in the Week 18 win over Dallas, the fans believe, too.
This position will remain low on the list until the Commanders find a long-term answer at the most important position.
9. Offensive line
Washington’s offensive line was among the five worst in the NFL in 2022. How much did the Commanders do to improve the unit? They signed Andrew Wylie to play right tackle and Nick Gates to play center. Washington moved Sam Cosmi from right tackle to right guard, where it believes he could be a Pro Bowl-caliber player. Saahdiq Charles and Chris Paul are battling at left guard, while Charles Leno returns at left tackle.
If anything, the Commanders should be better overall and possess more depth in 2023. There’s also the hope that Bieniemy can help the offensive line with his playcalling.
Washington needs Charles and Cosmi to finally live up to their potential. If they do, this could be a team strength. Leno is an average to above-average left tackle. Gates provides stability at center for Howell.
10. Linebacker
Perhaps this position is too low. Jamin Davis took a step forward last season, but he still has a ways to go to live up to his first-round status. The Commanders were encouraged by his progress last season.
Cody Barton is taking over for Cole Holcomb unless Khaleke Hudson beats him out in training camp. Hudson has been one of Washington’s offseason stars. If nothing else, one of the two provides the Commanders with some much-needed depth.
Washington often employs only two traditional linebackers, which explains its lack of a splash move here the last two offseasons.
