The Washington Commanders have made offensive tackle a clear priority, and one of their biggest moves in the 2025 offseason is already showing up in league-wide respect. ESPN’s survey of NFL executives, coaches and scouts placed Laremy Tunsil at No. 5 on its list of the top offensive tackles.
That matters for Washington because the Commanders didn’t just add Tunsil. They also used the No. 29 pick in the first round to draft Josh Conerly Jr. Offensive tackle is often viewed as the second-most important offensive position, and Washington has acted like it.
ESPN’s rankings of the top 10 tackles included several names familiar to Commanders fans, for better or worse. Penei Sewell of the Detroit Lions took the top spot after Detroit’s offense piled up 546 yards against Washington and scored on each of its first eight possessions before the Lions ran out the clock on their ninth and final drive.
Trent Williams came in at No. 2.
ESPN noted that he should have spent his entire career in Washington, but he wanted out, said the organization had committed medical negligence, and stopped making those claims after the team said it would take the records to the NFL if necessary. He still did not want to play for Washington and was eventually traded by Ron Rivera for third- and fifth-round picks.
Tristan Wirfs of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers was ranked third. He was selected No. 13 in the 2020 draft, after Washington had taken Chase Young second overall. Jordan Mailata of the Philadelphia Eagles landed at No. 4, and his pairing with Lane Johnson remains a problem for Washington twice every season in NFC East play.
Tunsil’s spot at No. 5 came with a simple explanation: he was the best Commander in 2025, and general manager Adam Peters rewarded him with a contract extension.
The rest of the top 10 rounded out with more names Washington has had to deal with directly. Darnell Wright of the Chicago Bears was listed sixth after a 2025 Monday night game in which he was rarely challenged by Washington’s defense and posted an 85.6 run-blocking grade, sixth among 89 qualified offensive tackles. Lane Johnson checked in at No. 7 after repeatedly controlling Washington defenders in their matchups.
Andrew Thomas of the New York Giants was eighth in his sixth season, moving up from No. 10 a year ago. Washington will see him twice each season as long as he is wearing Giants blue.
Joe Alt of the Los Angeles Chargers came in at No. 9 after missing the October 5, 2025 game against Washington because of a high right ankle sprain suffered the previous week against the New York Giants. Garett Bolles of the Denver Broncos finished at No. 10 after a standout Week 13 performance against Washington, when he played all 69 offensive snaps, committed no penalties, had no blown pass-protection blocks and allowed only one pressure.
In Other News...
Commanders Just Sent A Clear Message With Latest Cornerback Decision
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It also says plenty about how the Commanders are handling the bigger picture at the position. Even with a former first-round cornerback available after his release in Detroit, Washington has not shown interest, a choice that lines up with the organizations repeated emphasis on team culture in personnel decisions. In a league where depth is always worth monitoring, the Commanders appear content to keep their focus on the players already in the building. [Read more 🡒]
Commanders Are Asking Fans To Believe In Two Big Bets Again
Washingtons roster conversation keeps circling back to the same theme: the Commanders are trying to make smart, layered bets and trust that a few under-the-radar moves can hold up when the games start counting. Rachaad White looks like a potential answer on passing downs, giving the backfield a different kind of utility if he settles into the role the team has in mind, while the defense is also being reshaped with safety Nick Cross expected to matter in Daronte Jones system.
Kain Medrano adds another layer to that same puzzle, because his path to the roster runs through a crowded linebacker room and the special teams work that often decides those final spots. And as the football side keeps asking for patience, the organization is making a bigger promise off the field too, one that says plenty about how aggressively it wants to sell the future to fans who have heard versions of this pitch before. [Read more 🡒]
Commanders Just Got A 2026 Label Fans Wont Want Ignored
The Commanders 2025 season ended up looking nothing like the year before, when they reached the NFC Championship, and the 5-12 finish was driven in large part by injuries that kept key pieces out of the lineup. It was the kind of collapse that can make a team look far farther away from contention than it really is, especially when the roster had already shown it could compete at a high level the previous season.
One analyst believes that record may be masking more than it reveals, pointing to Washington as a team that could rebound in 2026 if it gets healthier and benefits from some coaching changes. The bigger question now is whether the Commanders can turn that optimism into something more than a preseason label, because after a year like this, they are going to enter next season with people watching closely to see if the talent is still there. [Read more 🡒]