Around this time last season, vibes were high in D.C. The Commanders were coming off an impromptu trip to the NFC championship game, and it seemed like the stench of the previous 25 years had finally been fumigated.
But things fell apart quickly. The team won seven less games than it did in 2024, Jayden Daniels spent more time on the bench than he did under center and several players who were supposed to be difference-makers turned out to be nonfactors.
With a new NFL season kicking off today, let’s look at the players who will shape this year in Washington. If everything goes right with this group of 10, there’s a chance the Commanders can make it one game further than they did in 2024. If not, this fall could be a sequel to 2025.
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10. Drew Stevens
Here’s some trivia for you: How many kickers have attempted at least one field goal for the Commanders since the 2016 season? The answer: 11.
Washington’s kicking game has been so inconsistent that in two of those seasons (2021 and 2024) it used four kickers. After a camp battle with incumbent veteran Jake Moody, the Commanders are hoping Stevens, a rookie out of Iowa, is the answer.
He was consistent throughout camp and connected from 60-plus yards on multiple occasions. For a team that finished 8-5 in one-score games two years ago and 2–5 in those contests last year, having a reliable kicker is of the utmost importance.
9. Sonny Styles
Last season the Commanders missed the second-most tackles (131) in the NFL, according to Pro Football Reference. Washington also allowed the third-most rushing yards.
Washington is banking on Styles, who totaled 182 tackles and 17 tackles for loss his final two seasons at Ohio State, to shore up those areas. The No. 7 overall pick brings exceptional quickness and instincts to the linebacker position, in part because he used to play safety. While few of those traits stood out in limited snaps across two preseason games, Styles has played well in practice, showing an ability to hit running gaps with speed and blow up plays before they have a chance to start.
8. Bill Croskey-Merritt
There’s no doubt the Commanders offense runs through Daniels, but if the quarterback has any shot at recapturing his magic from 2024, he’ll need help from his lead running back. Offensive coordinator David Blough’s system will lean heavily on play-action and bootlegs, and those play calls only work if there’s a dependable run game.
Croskey-Merritt showed flashes of his light feet, speed and power last season, particularly against the Chargers in Week 5 (16 touches for 150 yards and two touchdowns), but lacked consistency. His offseason dedication to conditioning and pass-catching has impressed the coaching staff, but time will tell if he can be a reliable, every-down back.
7. Terry McLaurin
There are few Commanders more eager to not talk about last season than McLaurin. After five straight 1,000-yard seasons, the wide receiver finished 2025 with career lows in receptions (38), yards (582) and touchdowns (3). That was due in part to a training camp holdout and a quad injury that limited him to 10 games, a career low.
Based on the explosive plays he’s made through training camp, McLaurin looks like his normal self this year. Plus, the arrival of Stefon Diggs means he doesn’t have to carry the receivers room on his back anymore.
6. Nick Allegretti
Throughout training camp, Washington’s interior offensive line struggled to give Daniels and company enough time to make plays. And it wasn’t just on pass plays: Commanders running backs averaged 3.6 yards per carry this preseason, which would have tied for last in the league in 2025.
Coach Dan Quinn and general manager Adam Peters have stressed all offseason that Allegretti, the team’s presumed starter at center, is the answer to these problems. The only issue is that Allegretti only practiced a handful of times during camp. If Allegretti, who has only 178 career snaps at center in the NFL, isn’t the answer then the Washington offense will struggle to reach its potential.
5. Stefon Diggs
If Diggs lives up to his own statement that he is the league’s best No. 2 receiver, then the Commanders’ passing attack will be unlike anything we’ve seen in years. Washington has long needed someone opposite McLaurin who can reliably beat coverage and make tough catches, and Diggs has proven that throughout his 12-year career.
Whether lining up in the slot or on the outside, Diggs has proven to be a reliable safety valve for every quarterback he’s played with. He and Daniels formed an immediate connection in training camp despite Diggs showing up on Aug. 7.
4. Amik Robertson
While the Commanders’ defensive production will be heavily dependent on the front seven (more below), they will need above-average play from their defensive backs. Defensive coordinator Daronte Jones comes from a Vikings team that had the highest blitz rate (48%) and eighth-highest zone coverage rate (77.1%) last season, according to Sharp Football Analysis.
This means that if the pass rush doesn’t get to the quarterback, then the defensive backs will be stuck covering large swaths of field for long periods of time. With incumbent starter Trey Amos out with an ankle injury for at least the first four games of the season, Washington will depend heavily on Robertson, who mostly lined up on the outside in camp, and the rest of the defensive backs to hold up in coverage.
The only issue? Robertson allowed the third-most passing yards (808) in coverage last year with the Lions, according to Next Gen Stats. (Washington’s Mike Sainristil ranked fifth.)
Robertson has shown the ability to provide sticky coverage and blow up plays, but without a better showing from him this year, Commanders will finish near the bottom of the league in passing yards allowed for a second straight season.
3. Odafe Oweh
All that being said, Robertson and company may not have to hold their coverage for that long.
The Commanders completely retooled their front seven this offseason, bringing in rookie Styles and free agents Tim Settle, K’Lavon Chaisson and Oweh to shore up a unit that forced the seventh-fewest pressures (121) despite tying for the eighth-most sacks (42) in 2025.
Oweh, who spent last season with the Ravens and Chargers, was an unstoppable force throughout camp, mucking up nearly every play he was on the field for. Last season he was the second-best edge rusher behind only Micah Parsons, according to ESPN’s pass rush win rate formula. If opposing quarterbacks have to worry about Oweh getting to them this season, that opens up opportunities for the 10 other defenders to make a game-changing play.
2. Brandon Coleman
The interior offensive line has rightfully borne the brunt of the criticism this offseason, but Coleman is the most important member of the unit. After Washington lost starting left tackle Laremy Tunsil, Coleman was thrust back into the role he played as a rookie in 2024.
There’s no replacing a five-time Pro Bowler like Tunsil, but Coleman has done his best impression since taking over in early August. He’s held his own in practice against the Commanders edge rushers and in the three snaps he saw in the preseason against Detroit. Washington is hoping he can keep that form as the season gets going.
1. Jayden Daniels
No surprise here. The main difference between an NFC championship game appearance in 2024 and a 5-12 flameout last fall was Daniels’ availability. He started and finished just four games last season compared to 15 games the year before.
When Daniels is on the field, he’s one of the most electric players in all of football. As a rookie, he ranked sixth in completion percentage (69%) and 10th in passing touchdowns (25) while also ranking second among quarterbacks in rushing yards (891). His 64 rushing first downs ranked 10th among all rushers.
Under Blough, Daniels is expected to play more under center, use more huddles and be allowed to make more decisions at the line. The hope is that this will keep the defense guessing and lead to more explosive plays.
But if the offensive line can’t hold up, or Daniels continues to take the hits that caused him to miss 10 games last year, it won’t really matter how well Coleman or Oweh or Diggs performs. The Commanders will only go as far as Daniels takes them.
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