Joshua Josephs entered the Commanders’ preseason as the easy name to miss in a rookie class that has drawn plenty of attention elsewhere. Two games in, he’s making it harder and harder to overlook him.
Washington’s second preseason game ended in a loss to the Detroit Lions, but the Commanders’ lone touchdown came from the defense - and Josephs was the rookie in the middle of it. After former Lions cornerback Amik Robertson knocked the ball out of quarterback Joshua Dobbs’ hand, Josephs sprinted to the end zone and fell on it for a Commanders score.
That moment mattered for more than just the scoreboard. It gave Washington a defensive touchdown in a preseason game, something the team did not produce at all during the 2025 season.
The last time the Commanders scored one came on that same field, when Quan Martin returned a Jared Goff interception for a touchdown in Washington’s upset win over Detroit in the 2024 divisional playoff round. Martin, who has also stood out this month with two interceptions in his new role, was part of the same kind of play-making that Josephs is now beginning to show.
Josephs, a fifth-round pick out of Tennessee, had already looked sharp against the Miami Dolphins. But his effort in Detroit felt like the real announcement. The Commanders drafted him in a crowded edge-rusher group, yet he has a clear path to a rotational role if he keeps flashing like this.
That’s especially notable because most of the rookie buzz in Washington has centered on No. 7 overall pick Sonny Styles, with offensive names like Antonio Williams, Kaytron Allen, and Athan Kaliakmanis getting their share of attention too. Josephs was the one who had been pushed to the background. Now he’s forcing his way into the conversation.
The bigger picture for Washington is easy to see. Under new coordinator Daronte Jones, the defense is being built around turnovers, speed, and aggression.
The Commanders want to look quicker, more athletic, and harder-hitting than the group they fielded under Joe Whitt Jr. last year. For that to work, young players have to deliver.
Josephs is doing exactly that. It’s still early, and two preseason games are not enough to hand out sweeping judgments.
But through this stretch, he has looked like a player who belongs in the mix now and could matter for a long time. Given how much Washington struggled in the turnover battle last season - finishing with the second-worst differential in the league - that kind of play has real value.
For a rookie who started the summer as an afterthought, Josephs is suddenly looking like someone the Commanders may want to keep around.
In Other News...
Commanders Face Tough 53-Man Calls After Surprise Preseason Risers
Two preseason games have already given the Commanders a better read on some of the roster battles they thought might take longer to sort out. With final cuts approaching, Washington has been using these games to separate the steady from the shaky, and a few competitors have clearly helped themselves along the way. Athan Kaliakmanis has been one of the more notable risers, especially after Marcus Mariotas injury opened the door for more scrutiny at backup quarterback.
Kaliakmanis has taken advantage of the opportunity, putting together encouraging recent performances that have improved his standing in the QB picture. He is not the only one making the decision harder, either, as Joshua Josephs and Kaytron Allen have also shown enough progress to strengthen their cases for the 53-man roster. For a team trying to trim the margins, that kind of late momentum can matter just as much as any early summer depth chart. [Read more 🡒]
Dan Quinn Sent Commanders A Clear Message After That Lions Showing
A sluggish preseason showing against the Lions was enough to prompt a noticeable change in the Commanders routine Monday, when the scheduled walk-through was bumped in favor of a full practice. Dan Quinn then met with reporters afterward, and the altered plan fit the tone of a head coach clearly trying to sharpen the edge around a team still early in its summer work.
With a joint practice against the Ravens coming up, the message from Quinn was less about easing through the week and more about raising the standard now. The switch in plans suggested he wanted his players locked in and moving with purpose, a small but telling reminder that he is not interested in letting an uneven preseason outing linger or turn into anything bigger. [Read more 🡒]
Commanders Still Have One Major Problem In Front Of Jayden Daniels
The preseason has already answered a lot for the Commanders, but one of the biggest questions still sits right in the middle of the line in front of Jayden Daniels. Dan Quinn said after the latest exhibition that Washington has not yet settled on a starting center, and the issue has become more pressing because the regular season is closing in fast.
Julian Good-Jones and rookie Matt Gulbin have been splitting the work while Nick Allegretti works through an injury, but neither has taken firm control of the job. For a team trying to protect its young quarterback and build some continuity up front, that leaves Washington with a short runway and very few easy answers. [Read more 🡒]