Commanders 53-man roster offers some surprises

The Washington Commanders have their first 53-man roster going into the season.

Here's a look at the initial 53-man roster the Commanders are rolling with:

Quarterback

• Jayden Daniels
• Marcus Mariota
• Josh Johnson

The Commanders choose to keep three quarterbacks, with Mariota taking over as the primary backup. Injury concerns may have been why the team is choosing to keep Johnson as well.

Running back

• Austin Ekeler
• Jacory Croskey-Merritt
• Jeremy McNichols
• Chris Rodriguez Jr.

The Commanders have four capable running backs in the backfield. Rodriguez snags one of the top spots, while Croskey-Merritt and Ekeler will fight for starters' reps.

Tight end

• Zach Ertz
• John Bates
• Ben Sinnott
• Colson Yankoff

The Commanders opt to keep four tight ends, including Yankoff, who had a great 52-yard catch in the team's preseason finale against the Baltimore Ravens.

Wide receiver

• Terry McLaurin
• Deebo Samuel
• Jaylin Lane
• Noah Brown
• Luke McCaffrey

With McLaurin healthy and signed onto a new deal, the Commanders are only keeping five wideouts. However, that could change after initial waiver claims.

Offensive line

• Laremy Tunsil
• Brandon Coleman
• Tyler Biadasz
• Nick Allegretti
• Andrew Wylie
• Josh Conerly Jr.
• Chris Paul
• George Fant
• Trent Scott

Sam Cosmi is starting the season on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) List.

DEFENSE

Defensive line

• Deatrich Wise Jr.
• Daron Payne
• Javon Kinlaw
• Jacob Martin
• Johnny Newton
• Dorance Armstrong
• Javontae Jean-Baptiste
• Eddie Goldman

The Commanders have a veteran group with eight defensive linemen. Clelin Ferrell, a former top five pick, was one of the notable cuts.

Linebacker

• Von Miller
• Bobby Wagner
• Jordan Magee
• Kain Medrano
• Frankie Luvu
• Nick Bellore
• Ale Kaho

The Commanders have a good group of linebackers, including rookie sixth-round pick Kain Medrano.

Cornerback

• Marshon Lattimore
• Trey Amos
• Mike Sainristil
• Jonathan Jones
• Noah Igbinoghene

The Commanders have five cornerbacks on the roster, including second-round rookie Trey Amos.

Safety

• Will Harris
• Quan Martin
• Percy Butler
• Jeremy Reaves
• Tyler Owens

The Commanders are carrying five safeties to start the season, including newcomer Will Harris.

Special teams

• Tress Way
• Tyler Ott
• Matt Gay

The Commanders keep the three specialists they had at the beginning of training camp.