Entering the NFL offseason, you could argue that no NFL team — outside of the Carolina Panthers — had more roster holes than the Washington Commanders.
General manager Adam Peters had his hands full this offseason, added over 20 free agents and drafted nine players in the 2024 NFL draft. While Peters couldn’t address every Washington need, he did address the most important one: Quarterback.
Jayden Daniels has played well through two weeks, often putting the team on his back. However, other positions remain a problem for Washington.
What are the Commanders’ most significant needs? Some would say cornerback, edge rusher, offensive tackle, or wide receiver.
Josh Edwards of CBS Sports recently analyzed all 32 NFL rosters after two weeks, including naming each team’s biggest roster need. For Washington, Edwards said it was offensive tackle.
After taking LSU’s Jayden Daniels as the quarterback of the future, the Commanders also need a left tackle of the future after releasing Charles Leno. Cornelius Lucas and Andrew Wylie saw most of the action as the starting offensive tackles. Each player ranks among the 30 highest beaten rates, according to TruMedia, which essentially illustrates how often the opposition wins the rep.
Edge rusher would be the other area at which they should throw future assets after sacrificing Chase Young and Montez Sweat in the rebuild.
Offensive tackle remains a major need. Even if rookie Brandon Coleman proves to be a future starter, the Commanders will need another starting offensive tackle next offseason. Wylie and Lucas are free agents after the season.
While CBS said offensive tackle, we believe it’s either edge rusher or cornerback. Have you seen Washington’s defense through two weeks? The Commanders may need two starting outside cornerbacks next offseason and certainly need a game-wrecker on the edge.
It’s early, and sometimes, your need list looks much different in January than in September. Over the next few months, it will be interesting to follow the development of some of Washington’s young players at these key positions.
