Luke McCaffrey’s grind with NFL stars has Commanders fans fired up for breakout

Luke McCaffrey left a massive impression on the Washington Commanders' offseason program. The second-year wide receiver is already working hard to ensure this becomes the start of a prosperous summer.

McCaffrey was arguably the biggest beneficiary of Washington's changed wide receiver dynamic this offseason. Numbers dwindled for one reason or another, and he took full advantage.

Terry McLaurin decided to skip voluntary OTAs and mandatory minicamp as he awaited a new deal that hasn't arrived as yet. Michael Gallup was dealing with a hamstring strain, and Noah Brown was also carted off with a complication that some believe isn't too serious. This allowed the former third-round pick to become a focal point, and he seized the opportunity with both hands.

Luke McCaffrey is putting in the hard yards before Commanders' training camp

There was a lot to like about McCaffrey's performance levels. His route-running was crisp, the movements were fluid, and his pass-catching technique was also much improved. It's early days, but one couldn't dismiss an expanded role in Kliff Kingsbury's offense if the same trend continues.

One thing that separated McCaffrey from the rest during Washington's pre-draft assessments last year was his work ethic. He was always first into the building for some extra work with quarterback Jayden Daniels. He comes from a football family, so he'll know full well how important it is to lay the groundwork. And the results are starting to show.

Another fine example of this arrived via a recent social media post. McCaffrey is spending the time away from the team before training camp working out alongside two of the league's most prolific running backs. The former Rice standout was pictured with All-Pro brother Christian McCaffrey and Atlanta Falcons dual-threat Bijan Robinson, which caused an inevitable stir on social media.