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Commanders Minicamp: Jayden Daniels' path to the starting quarterback job starts this week

Originally posted on A to Z Sports | By Evan Winter | Last updated Jun 10, 2024 1:22 PM ET

Washington Commanders' mandatory minicamp officially begins this week, which means we are on the last page before turning over to training camp and the regular season.

While minicamp still represents the early stages of the offseason process, it's still an important string of days that will set the tone heading into training camp. What the players do this week can easily affect how they start out once things start in late July.

So, with that being said, let's dive into the main storylines for Commanders' mandatory minicamp.

1. Jayden Daniels and Marcus Mariota's reps

The Commanders haven't officially named Daniels the starter and Mariota has reportedly been taking most of the reps with the 1s throughout OTAs. Minicamp represents an opportunity for that to change, however, whether it be by design or force.

So far, the reports surrounding Daniels' development have been very positive. That doesn't include all the comments from his teammates, either. The general message is Daniels both understands and has good command of the offense. He looks comfortable, for the most part, especially in two-minute drills, and his passing skills and work ethic have been on full display.

"It's early, but I mean, he shows the potential," veteran linebacker Bobby Wagner told reporters back in May. "You see the throws, you see the decisions that he's making. You see the confidence that he has [and] you see the work that he's putting in. too. Whether, he's coming in early or whether it's working out or you know, putting into film.

"That's the thing you look for as a vet, you know, somebody that wants it and he's definitely that guy."

Daniels' performance will certainly be the No. 1 topic all week.

2. What's going on at left tackle?

Right now, it makes sense if it's Cornelius Lucas' job to lose, considering Brandon Coleman's rookie status. It also remains to be how much Braeden Daniels and Trent Scott factor in this battle.

As we all know, trenches are hard to evaluate at this time of year, outside of timing, technique, and overall chemistry. Still, who's getting what reps with whom, how many, and how often will give us an idea of the pecking order that will eventually block Daniels' or Mariota's (or both's) blindside.

One thing that goes beyond this week: Don't be surprised if the Commanders add another body, whether it be a proven one like David Bakhtiari or a guy like Lucas, between now and the start of training camp. Or even during training camp.

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3. Who's getting reps alongside/directly behind Terry McLaurin and Jahan Dotson?

One figures Luke McCaffrey, Olamide Zaccheaus, and Jamison Crowder lead the way, here, but can anyone get in front of them? That would be a good problem for the Commanders receivers, if so.

Damiere Byrd has the most experience after those names, but there's one notable issue outside experience that only one of the remaining wideouts in Brycen Tremayne can help: lack of size. He's the only wide receiver taller than 6-foot-2 on the entire roster.

Regardless, the Commanders really need some guys to step up behind their top-2 wideouts, because the passing attack is in trouble if either go down for an extended period of time.

4. The rotation at defensive end/EDGE

The recent comments from Joe Whitt Jr. and Dan Quinn about former first-rounder, Jamin Davis, taking snaps at EDGE/defensive end added a whole new layer to what should be a very interesting rotation during minicamp. And even beyond.

Dorance Armstrong is the only shoo-in on the end of the defensive line. Whether Whitt Jr./Quinn play another guy opposite him with his hand in the dirt, or standing up, or both, remains to be seen. But the key is they'll do what's best for the defense and personnel. Meaning, they aren't going to box anyone in, at the end of the day.

"We're designing our defense around the players that we have," Whitt Jr. told reporters last week. "I think if you're just limited to say, 'Hey, we run one scheme, and that's all we have.' No, you have the players that you have, alright, and you make sure that you are putting them in the best position to play high-level football. And we have really good players. And I'm excited, everyday, to come in here and figure out what's the best way to use them...

"... We have 17 to 18 guys [and] we're gonna go out there [and] we're gonna roll a deep crew and to go out there and whup people. So, we don't have 11 guys, we have many personnel groups, and now can they own those positions when we put them in there."

5. The Commanders secondary (mainly the corners)

This is about as unclear as it gets when it comes to a position group from top-to-bottom. Whether we're talking about a starter or a depth guy - no one is certain where guys will land, at the end of the day.

Sure, we all have ideas on what will happen. Michael Davis should win a staring job, Mike Sainristil should be the primary nickel back. Quan Martin and Jeremy Chinn should be the main safety tandem. None of that is guaranteed, though, especially the second outside corner position, which is an absolute toss-up in terms of who wins the job.

There's also the fact that Dan Quinn and Joe Whitt Jr. are notorious for mixing up their looks in the secondary, which often requires mixing up personnel. They've said from the start that this is pretty much a position-less defense and that definitely applies to the secondary, more than anywhere else.

It'll be fun to see who steps up this week.

This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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