Commanders' young core is looking like the foundation fans dreamed of

When the Washington Commanders stunned the football world by reaching the NFC Championship game last season, the general thought was that they were an arriving contender.

Not quite. Despite being led by a rookie quarterback in Jayden Daniels, the Commanders in fact possessed one of the NFL's oldest rosters. Then, over the offseason, they got even older.

It's what they had to do after four straight years of Ron Rivera's disastrous draft classes. Washington was left with very few pieces to build around beyond Daniels. Adam Peters was left to fill in the holes with stopgap veterans while playing the long game in waiting for his own projects to develop.

In Year 2 of Peters' tenure as general manager, the young guns are coming along nicely.

Commanders' young nucleus is making encouraging progress through five games

While Daniels stole the show, it was overlooked that the Commanders' 2024 draft class otherwise didn't have the most ideal debut season. Second-round cornerback Mike Sainristil was a bright spot. Still, defensive tackle Johnny Newton, tight end Ben Sinnott, offensive lineman Brandon Coleman, and wide receiver Luke McCaffrey made minimal contributions as top-100 picks.

Sinnott has remained disappointing, and Coleman has been a healthy scratch since Week 3 after beginning the year as a starter. On the other hand, Newton and McCaffrey have made significant progress, with both making massive plays in the win over the Los Angeles Chargers. Fifth-rounder Jordan Magee has also made a positive impact with the limited opportunities he's been given.

The promising second-year players have been joined by the 2025 rookie class. First-round right tackle Josh Conerly Jr. has shaken off a rocky start and found his footing in recent weeks. Second-round cornerback Trey Amos has arguably been Washington's best defensive back. Fourth-round wide receiver Jaylin Lane has immediately turned heads in the return game, and he's beginning to get involved as an offensive weapon.

Last, but not least, we'd be remiss to mention the sensational seventh-round running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt. After taking over the Commanders' offseason, his hype has translated to competitive action, and then some. He leads the NFL in yards per carry among eligible players. He had his genuine breakout performance against the Chargers, accumulating 150 total yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns.

The Commanders may have the NFL's oldest roster, but their nucleus of future franchise faces is expanding. It's a development that Washington needs to continue trending in the right direction.