Commanders Rookie Minicamp: The Storylines We Are Watching

The thrill of the early portion of the NFL offseason has come and gone now that the NFL Draft has concluded, and the Washington Commanders are gearing up for the heart of their offseason programs before training camp begins later in the summer.

There was plenty to like about what the Commanders did in free agency, but we will have to wait until minicamp begins to see them in action. However, we will get our first look at Washington's 2026 rookie class, undrafted free-agent signings, and those who haven't been signed but are working to prove they deserve to be.

Rookie minicamp will get underway this week in Ashburn, Virginia, and there are a handful of storylines we will be monitoring as it begins.

First Glimpse of Sonny Styles

The seventh overall pick in the NFL Draft, Styles is the undoubted headliner of the Commanders' draft class. A hybrid, versatile off-ball linebacker who switched from safety to linebacker in college, all eyes will be on how the Commanders initially deploy him within the defense. Will he be used primarily like a typical NFL 'backer, or will Dan Quinn decide to show off his versatility early by moving him around the defense?

WR Depth

Third-round pick Antonio Williams will obviously draw plenty of attention at rookie minicamp as he is expected to play a big role within the Commanders' offense, but it will be interesting to monitor their undrafted signings of Chris Hilton Jr. and Jaden Bradley, who could push some veterans later in camp for roles, especially Hilton Jr.

DBs Buying for Roster Spots

The Commanders noticeably didn't take any defensive backs in the NFL Draft, a move that surprised many, but going to show that they trust who they currently have at corner and safety.

With no DBs taken in the draft, it will leave the door open for undrafted players like safety Malik Spencer and cornerback Fred Davis II to have a potential path to the 53-man roster, or the practice squad, if they can show traits in the rookie minicamp before competing against the big dogs later in offseason workouts.

The Race to QB3

The Commanders used their final draft pick on Rutgers' quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis to compete for a backup role. Marcus Mariota is the incumbent QB2 behind Jayden Daniels, so Kaliakmanis will be battling it out with Sam Hartman for the QB3 job. It would be great for Kaliakmanis to have a solid showing in the rookie minicamp, getting a jump on the competition before joining Hartman and the rest of the QBs throughout the rest of the offseason programs.

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