Commanders Build the Trenches for Jayden Daniels

General manager Adam Peters and the rest of the Washington Commanders front office quickly made their offseason mission clear: protect franchise quarterback Jayden Daniels.

Only hours after NFL free agency negotiations officially began, Washington dealt a considerable haul of draft picks to Houston for five-time Pro Bowl left tackle Laremy Tunsil.

The Commanders doubled down on their commitment in the NFL Draft, spending their first-round pick—which many thought would be used to bolster the defense—on Oregon tackle Josh Conerly Jr.

In the span of a month, Washington added two new starters in the trenches and will enter next season with a reconfigured offensive line. Center Tyler Biadasz is slated to be the only returning starter at the same position on the line.

Here’s the outlook for all five projected starting offensive linemen next season:

Laremy Tunsil (LT)

Tunsil is easily the most accomplished player on the line and instantly becomes one of Washington’s headliners on offense. 

The Ole Miss product earned an 88.6 pass-blocking grade from Pro Football Focus, fourth-best among 140 tackles. He also played the 10th-most snaps among left tackles, allowed two sacks, and graded as an above-average run blocker.

Washington should expect the 6-foot-5, 313-pounder to keep up this level of play next year. Tunsil has received at least an 85.0 pass-blocking grade in five of the last six seasons, according to PFF.

The Commanders’ left tackles struggled in 2024, allowing 10 sacks and 57 pressures, while Tunsil has allowed similar figures in the past three seasons combined.

A major cause for concern with Tunsil, though, is his penchant for penalties. He led the league with 19 fouls last year and has notched double-digit penalties in the past three seasons.

He called the flags he racked up last year “unacceptable,” and the Commanders would surely like to see more discipline from the 10-year veteran.

Brandon Coleman (LG)

Coleman started 12 games in his rookie campaign last season and was Washington’s left tackle for the majority of the year. He earned a slightly above-average 63.9 overall grade from PFF, but allowed nine sacks—the most on the team and the fifth-most in the league among tackles.

The addition of Tunsil allows Washington to kick Coleman inside to left guard. Though he played left tackle in most of his games at TCU, Coleman started four games at left guard in 2023. 

Improving his run-blocking prowess seems to be the next step for Coleman now that he’s moving to guard. He was graded as a roughly average run blocker last season and could take a leap in that area as a sophomore.

Tyler Biadasz (C)

The former Cowboy has established himself as one of the league’s better centers, earning above-average grades in pass protection and run blocking. His 69.0 overall grade places him 13th out of 64 centers.

The Wisconsin product missed two regular-season games last year, but remains one of the Commanders’ most dependable offensive pieces.

Nick Allegretti (RG)

With Sam Cosmi suffering a torn ACL against the Detroit Lions last season and likely missing a chunk of this season, Allegretti has hefty shoes to fill. The 29-year-old is perhaps Washington’s biggest question mark on the offensive line entering next season, as he had started only 13 games across his first five seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs.

In 2024, Allegretti delivered mixed results at left guard in his first full season starting. He earned a subpar 57.5 pass-blocking grade but a solid 63.9 run-blocking grade. He also surrendered three sacks and committed seven penalties, both of which ranked in the bottom half of 136 qualified guards.

Now, with 17 more starts under his belt, Allegretti will move to right guard. He’ll fill in for Washington’s best offensive lineman last season until Cosmi returns.

Josh Conerly Jr. (RT)

The former No. 1 offensive tackle prospect in high school broke out during his junior season at Oregon.

Conerly made the All-Big Ten First Team in 2024, allowing one sack and nine pressures, while anchoring one of the nation’s best offensive lines as left tackle.

His campaign peaked in the Big Ten Championship Game against Penn State, when Conerly matched up with third overall pick, and now divisional rival, Abdul Carter. Conerly rose to the challenge, shutting down Carter with zero pressures allowed in 35 pass-blocking snaps.

Conerly will shift to right tackle in Washington, replacing Andrew Wylie. The rookie’s athleticism should provide a boost to the run game if he develops properly. Conerly clocked a 1.71 10-yard split and a 34.5-inch vertical jump at the NFL Combine—numbers that showcase explosiveness useful in pull blocks and second-level assignments.

Wylie earned a poor run-blocking grade last season, ranking 109th of 140 tackles in that aspect, and was graded overall as a below-average starter.

The Commanders hope that their first-round selection will change that.