The Commanders are finally back in action Friday night, even if it comes in the low-stakes setting of a preseason game against the Miami Dolphins at Northwest Stadium. The tackles will be live, the football will be real, and the roster questions will keep coming.
That’s the part worth watching. With many frontline players unlikely to see much, if any, work after Wednesday’s joint practice with Miami, this game becomes a proving ground for the guys fighting for snaps, jobs and roles in new offensive and defensive schemes.
A few names stand out immediately.
Colson Yankoff has been one of the more intriguing camp stories so far. The former UCLA player, now a tight end after starting out as a converted special teams piece, has flashed as a receiver with several big plays in practice. If Ben Sinnott doesn’t log many snaps, Yankoff could end up with a heavy preseason target share, and every catch he makes only strengthens his case for an offensive role.
At running back, Kaytron Allen looks positioned for a real workload. Bill Croskey-Merritt and Rachaad White are likely to be held out, and Jeremy McNichols is dealing with a quad injury, per Ben Standig.
That opens the door for the sixth-round rookie to get meaningful reps. Allen has already shown himself to be a tough, punishing runner in camp, but live tackling should tell a lot more about how he fits into Washington’s backfield.
There’s also plenty riding on Joshua Josephs, the fifth-round edge rusher from Tennessee. He’s drawn positive feedback throughout camp, and the Commanders need someone who can help fill out the pass-rush rotation behind Odafe Oweh and K’Lavon Chaisson. Josephs’ spot on the roster looks safe, but Friday should help show whether he can handle both rushing the passer and setting the edge against the run.
The kicking competition is worth a close look, too. Drew Stevens and Jake Moody have been battling for the job, with Moody enduring some notable struggles on kicking days and both kickers having a rough Monday. Stevens appears to have the early edge, but the preseason gives Moody a chance to swing things back in his direction starting Friday.
On the defensive front, Johnny Newton is another player to keep tabs on. The former second-round pick started to assert himself in 2025, as our MattinBrisVegas explained in this detailed article on the interior defensive lineman.
Mark Tyler also believes Newton could be a breakout player in 2026, pointing to how well Daronte Jones’ scheme might suit him. Friday offers the next chance to see that talent show up in game action.
In the secondary, Quan Martin has work to do at free safety. He and Jeremy Reaves are listed in an “-OR-” competition on Washington’s unofficial depth chart, and Martin needs a strong preseason to help lock down his place.
There’s more to sort out beyond the battle itself: how he’s used in these games, whether he’s playing deep, working in the slot or lining up in the three-safety looks expected under Jones. He has a lot to answer this summer.
The offensive line has questions of its own, especially at center. Nick Allegretti, the presumed starter, suffered a calf strain on the first day of camp and still hasn’t returned, though he could be back as early as Sunday.
That leaves Julian Good-Jones with a chance to make a case as a depth option. It’s not clear whether the first-unit line will play Friday, but the Commanders would be wise to give Good-Jones plenty of work at center while they still can.
He’s also trying to hold off Matt Gulbin and newcomer Daniel Brunskill, and a solid outing could quiet some of the calls for help outside the organization.
Then there’s Jaden Bradley, the undrafted receiver from UNLV who has generated plenty of buzz this summer. Terry McLaurin has taken him under his wing, and reporters on site have said Bradley has looked like an NFL-quality receiver. With Stefon Diggs now in the mix, the receiver room is even more crowded, so Bradley needs to keep stacking good plays - and showing up as a blocker in the run game - if he wants to force his way onto the 53-man roster or at least strengthen his case for the practice squad.
In Other News...
Commanders Left Joint Practice With One Early Problem They Cant Ignore
Joint practices are supposed to sharpen a team in a hurry, and for the Commanders, the work against Miami quickly revealed a spot that has to get cleaned up. Washingtons special teams coverage was shaky throughout the session, and the Dolphins found easy opportunities to stress that phase of the game, turning what should have been a routine evaluation period into an uncomfortable reminder that hidden-yardage plays can swing games.
Special teams coordinator Larry Izzo and the rest of the staff now have a clear area to sort through before the preseason opener. The encouraging part for Washington is that there are still young, athletic players on hand who could help firm up the unit, but the clock is ticking and the margin for error on coverage teams is thin. [Read more 🡒]
Commanders Suddenly Have A New Edge Rusher Worth Watching Closely
The Commanders defense had a good day in joint work with the Dolphins, and one of the more encouraging developments came from a player who has spent much of his first year trying to get back on track. Javontae Jean-Baptiste, the 2024 seventh-round pick, flashed the kind of edge presence Washington has been looking to sort through as it evaluates the back end of the roster and the pass-rush depth behind its established options.
Jean-Baptistes showing matters because the path has not been simple for him since arriving in Washington, and every practice rep carries extra weight for a player trying to turn opportunity into staying power. The competition among the Commanders edge rushers is already tight, but a strong week against a quality opponent can help change how the staff views a young defender, especially one who appears to be pushing toward a bigger role. [Read more 🡒]
Commanders Suddenly Face A D-Line Concern They Can't Yet Answer
The middle of the Commanders defensive front has a new wrinkle after Tim Settle was held out of practice with a calf strain. Settle has been part of the kind of interior presence Washington leans on to keep blockers honest, so any setback there is worth watching as camp moves forward and roster plans start to take shape.
What makes this one tricky is the lack of clarity around his recovery timeline. For now, Washington is left waiting on a key depth piece along the line, and until Settle gets back on the field, there is at least some uncertainty about how quickly the defensive tackle group can settle into its full rotation. [Read more 🡒]