The Commanders finally have their quarterback. The bigger question now is which players will actually grow into the kind of long-term pieces that hold a roster together.
That has been the goal since Adam Peters arrived: build through the draft, then patch the gaps with free agency. Peters said it plainly when he took over.
“We’re going to be very process driven and diligent in who we select in free agency,” he said in his introductory press conference. “But we’re going to build through the draft here.”
It’s a familiar formula across the league, and one with a pretty good track record. Washington tried to follow it in 2024, with Jayden Daniels at the center of the turnaround and veterans around him to steady the group. But as Peters and Dan Quinn head into a crucial Year 3 and try to recover from a disappointing 2025 season, the roster still feels like it is waiting for more players to plant a flag and stay there.
The last two seasons were built around short-term veteran deals. In 2024, those veterans were supposed to help set the standard and speed up the development of the younger players. In 2025, Washington doubled down on the same idea, bringing many of those veterans back on short-term contracts and then adding more help through trades.
That trade market brought in some major names - and major costs. Marshon Lattimore arrived at the 2024 deadline when Washington was 7-2, and the move effectively cost two draft picks.
Deebo Samuel came next, costing another pick. Then came left tackle Laremy Tunsil, who required roughly three more draft picks to land.
Tunsil is the only one still on the roster, and he’ll miss significant time this season because of a torn triceps.
Each deal made sense in the moment. Lattimore addressed an obvious cornerback problem, even though he was injured when Washington got him.
Samuel was supposed to give Daniels another dangerous and versatile target, but injuries elsewhere in the receiver room kept that from fully clicking. Tunsil was the biggest swing of all, and after signing a two-year, $60.2 million extension in March, he became even more expensive.
Still, Peters said in January, “I think I would do that one all over again.”
What Peters and Quinn inherited in 2024 was a roster thin on homegrown pillars because of years of draft misses. From 2018 through 2023, Washington drafted 48 players, and only four - safety Quan Martin, guard Sam Cosmi, receiver Terry McLaurin and defensive tackle Daron Payne - have become multi-year starters who remain with the team.
Peters said all offseason that he wanted to get younger and faster after last year’s group became the oldest roster in the league. He also wanted more veterans on longer contracts to create a sturdier base.
The Commanders got part of that done, at least on paper. But injuries and the need for depth have left them with the fifth-oldest roster in the league, according to Spotrac.
They did add several longer-term veterans. Outside linebacker Odafe Oweh signed the biggest deal, four years and up to $100 million, and the structure suggests he could be around through at least 2027. Linebacker Leo Chenal, defensive tackle Tim Settle and tight end Chig Okonkwo also arrived on three-year contracts.
Even so, the real test is still the draft class.
Seven of Washington’s 11 projected offensive starters for Week 1 were drafted by the team, but the group still needs to prove it can become the backbone of the roster. Daniels, Cosmi and right tackle Josh Conerly Jr. look like the best bets to remain in place beyond 2027, based on age, contract and value. Brandon Coleman, a 2024 third-round pick, may have the clearest opening to show he belongs while filling in for Tunsil at left tackle.
McLaurin remains the offense’s most established homegrown star, a face of the franchise since being picked in the third round in 2019. But he’ll be 31 next season, and his $34 million salary cap hit will be part of any conversation about his future in Washington.
The defense is even more uncertain. Only four projected defensive starters were drafted by the team and have spent their entire careers in Washington.
Payne is in the final year of his contract. Cornerbacks Trey Amos and Mike Sainristil, along with rookie linebacker Sonny Styles, are more about projection than proof at this point.
Sainristil has started the last two seasons but had his rough stretches in 2025. Amos has been dealing with injuries since last November.
Styles has not played a regular-season snap.
Martin, a second-round pick in 2023, looked like he was on his way after earning a starting role, but coverage issues last season may have pushed him down the depth chart. The addition of Nick Cross in free agency, plus a bigger role for Jeremy Reaves in camp, could leave Martin with a much smaller piece of the puzzle.
There are still some intriguing young names in the mix. Jacory “Bill” Croskey-Merritt, a 2025 seventh-round pick, has real upside, though his future may come down to whether he can stay consistent and available. The same kind of question follows receiver and returners Jaylin Lane and Luke McCaffrey, along with defensive lineman Johnny Newton, who is working back from a pectoral muscle injury and may not return until late this season or next.
And then there’s Drew Stevens, the undrafted rookie kicker who could soon become Washington’s eighth kicker to start a regular-season game since Peters and Quinn arrived. If he puts together a steady season, he might be around for a while too.
In Other News...
Commanders Just Added Receiver Depth That Could Matter Faster Than Expected
The Commanders added another layer to their receiver room by signing Van Jefferson Jr. to the practice squad as they turn the page into Week 1 prep. Jefferson had turned in a solid training camp, but he was the odd man out when Washington finalized its 53-man roster, with Luke McCaffrey getting the nod instead.
Even so, Jefferson never felt far from the picture, and this move gives Washington a familiar contingency if the position group gets hit by injuries or simply needs more production. For a roster still sorting out its early-season depth, it is the kind of addition that could matter sooner than expected. [Read more 🡒]
Commanders Just Made Jaden Bradleys Early Path A Lot Tougher
The Commanders added another experienced receiver to the practice squad in Van Jefferson Jr., a move that gives Washington more depth behind its top pass catchers and subtly raises the bar for everyone else in the receiver room. For a young player like undrafted rookie Jaden Bradley, who also landed on the practice squad, it means the margin for earning attention just got a little slimmer even before the season settles into its rhythm.
Bradley still has something working in his favor: Washington views him as more than just camp depth and likes the work ethic that helped him hang around. The challenge now is turning that developmental spot into a real path forward, especially with veteran competition in the building and the practice squad becoming a proving ground rather than a placeholder. [Read more 🡒]
Treylon Burks Just Got The Commanders Opportunity He Needed
Treylon Burks entered the week with a clean slate in Washington, and the Commanders made the message even clearer when they released their Week 1 depth chart for the opener against the Eagles. Burks was listed as a starting wide receiver alongside Terry McLaurin and Stefon Diggs, a notable sign for a player who arrived on a one-year deal and is looking for a fresh start after a difficult run with the Tennessee Titans.
The opportunity goes beyond a spot on the first depth chart. Under coordinator David Blough, Burks is expected to have a meaningful role in the offense, giving him a chance to show he can still be part of a long-term plan if he makes the most of this opening stretch. For Washington, it is a low-risk way to see whether a former first-round talent can finally find the right fit. [Read more 🡒]