The Commanders may have opened their preseason with a comfortable 20-7 win over the Miami Dolphins on Friday, but ESPN’s latest future-focused rankings still left Washington in an uneasy spot.
Jayden Daniels sat out the game, Marcus Mariota tweaked his knee, and Athan Kaliakmanis and Sam Hartman helped the refreshed defense finish the job. Then, with Washington idle on Monday, ESPN’s Louis Riddick, Aaron Schatz, Ben Solak, and Seth Walder turned their attention to the league’s long view, grading every team’s outlook for the 2027-2029 seasons.
Their process weighed quarterback play, the rest of the roster, the front office, and the coaching staff, with quarterbacks accounting for 20% of the score, the roster 30%, and both the front office and coaching staff 25% apiece. When the numbers were crunched, Washington came in at No. 20 with an overall score of 76.5.
The biggest reason for optimism is still Daniels. Ben Solak pointed to what a healthy season from the quarterback could mean, especially if first-time playcaller David Blough settles in quickly.
Solak also noted that Washington has a real path to jump far higher if Daniels flashes the near-MVP-level form he showed in 2024. He added that the team’s defensive additions, both in free agency and on the coaching side, should give that unit a boost.
That same Daniels theme runs through the concern section, too. Louis Riddick said the trouble is everything around him: the offensive line, the receiver group, the big-play punch in the running backs room, and whether Blough can be competent early. Riddick made clear he sees Daniels as a star, but worried Washington may not get the best version of him unless general manager Adam Peters gives him more help.
The line is the biggest issue hanging over all of it. The source article also points to the recent addition of Stefon Diggs and the preseason showing from the young running backs as less alarming than the protection in front of Daniels. The central task remains the same: keep the quarterback upright.
Aaron Schatz offered a different lens on the roster, noting that Washington was the oldest team last season by snap-weighted age, ranking No. 1 on defense and special teams and No. 4 on offense. That changes in 2026, at least in intent, because Peters targeted younger defenders throughout the offseason. The final league-wide age picture won’t be clear until rosters are set, but Schatz’s point was straightforward: the team has already moved to get younger.
Seth Walder’s bold prediction looked even farther ahead, projecting that the Commanders will trade offensive lineman Brandon Coleman for a strong return before the 2027 season. Coleman is expected to start at left tackle while Laremy Tunsil recovers from triceps surgery, and Walder highlighted Coleman’s 90.7% career pass block win rate at tackle, including 92.3% last season, though with more double-team help than Tunsil received. If Coleman turns in a big year, another team could come calling.
That possibility makes this season especially important for Coleman. Tunsil is unlikely to return in 2026, leaving the left tackle job open for Coleman to claim again after he started there in 2024 during Daniels’ Offensive Rookie of the Year run. As a third-round pick, he does not have a fifth-year option, and while he is under contract through 2027, Washington may eventually have to weigh the value of a good tackle against the chance to cash in on him.
In Other News...
Jayden Daniels Is Stuck In An Awkward Distraction He Did Not Need
Jayden Daniels has tried to keep the focus where it belongs this season, on his play for Washington, but an unexpected offseason issue from his LSU days has followed him into the conversation anyway. The Commanders quarterback has been performing well on the field in 2025, yet his connection to the No. 5 jersey he once wore in Baton Rouge has become a lingering off-field subplot that he did not need.
What has made it especially awkward is how public the whole thing has become, with the matter drawing plenty of trolling and commentary far beyond the LSU campus. Daniels has kept doing his job for Washington while the noise swirls around him, but this is the kind of distraction that can stick around longer than anyone involved would probably like. [Read more 🡒]
Commanders Roster Shakeup Started With A Brutal Jerome Ford Turn
The Commanders latest roster churn started with a rough preseason night for Jerome Ford, whose hamstring injury during Fridays win over Miami quickly changed the look of the back end of Washingtons depth chart. Ford landed on injured reserve, ending his season before it could really begin, and the ripple effect showed up elsewhere as the team also moved receiver River Cracraft to injured reserve.
From there, Washington kept busy filling out the roster with a wave of additions, including Maurice Hurst II, Tre McKitty, Krys Barnes and Craig Reynolds, while also making other cleanup moves at kicker and punter. It was the kind of late-summer shuffle that can make the bottom of a roster feel anything but settled, and for a team still sorting out its final shape, one injury turned into several decisions in a hurry. [Read more 🡒]
Jaguars Tackle Depth Just Entered A Trade Rumor Fans Will Notice
Laremy Tunsils injury has forced the Commanders into a quick reset at one of the most important spots on the field, with Dan Quinn already turning to Brandon Coleman as the new starter at left tackle. For now, the team is saying it will ride with what it has rather than chase outside help, even as the loss creates a real test for a position group that did not have much margin to begin with.
Walker Littles name has surfaced as a theoretical fit because of that need, but the conversation is still just that, a conversation. There have been no reported trade talks, and the Jaguars tackle is dealing with his own injury situation, which only adds to the uncertainty around whether Washington will stay internal or eventually have to explore a more aggressive answer. [Read more 🡒]