Yardbarker
x
Washington Commanders release first unofficial depth chart ahead of preseason Week 1 game vs. New England Patriots and it answers some questions
Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

The Washington Commanders are traveling up to New England for their first preseason game on Friday vs the Patriots, which means we get our first look at the unofficial depth chart.

I want to put an emphasis on the word unofficial because this doesn't mean this is how the team will look, or how certain guys rank, but it's still a foundation to build off of.

Quarterbacks

1

2

3

4

Jayden Daniels

Marcus Mariota

Josh Johnson

Sam Hartman

The only real notable storyline to watch in the QB room is who wins the battle for QB3. Hartman has had a solid camp, but Johnson brings a veteran presence to the room. Whoever can fill in without hiccups will be the one who wins the last spot. Hartman and Johnson will get a lot of preseason reps.

Wide Receiver

1

2

3

4

Terry McLaurin

Michael Gallup

Chris Moore

Mike Strachan

Noah Brown

K.J Osborn

Jacoby Jones

Braylon Sander/Tay Martin

Deebo Samuel Sr.

Luke McCaffrey

Jaylin Lane

Ja'Corey Brooks

No real surprise when you think about how HC Dan Quinn approaches the depth chart, and he makes every rookie earn their spot. Jaylin Lane will quickly shoot up the depth chart, but this is also a good sign for Luke McCaffrey. WR is another deep position with plenty of preseason snaps available.

Running Back

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

Brian Robinson Jr.

Austin Ekeler

Jeremy McNichols

Chris Rodriguez Jr.

Jacory Croskey-Merritt

Kazmier Allen

Demetric Felton

Have no fear, Croskey-Merritt truthers, he will get his chance to show what separates him from the other running backs. His listing as the fifth string actually allows us to see more snaps for the seventh-round rookie gem.

Offensive Line

1

2

3

4

LT

Laremy Tunsil

Foster Sarrell

Tyree Phillips

Lucas Niang

LG

Brandon Coleman

Chris Paul

Julian Good-Jones

C

Tyler Biadasz

Michael Deiter

RG

Sam Cosmi

Nick Allegretti

Timothy McKay

RT

Andrew Wylie

OR Josh Conerly Jr.

Trent Scott

Bobby Hart

Of course, everyone will look at the RT spot. That's exactly what I expected to see with Wylie OR Conerly Jr. being listed as the starters. I predict we could see Wylie start the season at RT with split time with Conerly Jr., similar to what they did last year with Cornelius Lucas and Brandon Coleman. I also think the depth can move around to different positions easily.

Tight End

1

2

3

Zach Ertz

Ben Sinnott

Cole Turner

John Bates

Colson Yankoff

Lawrence Cager

No surprises here for the tight end group. I'm obviously most excited to see Ben Sinnott in his second season in the league and hopefully get a decent amount of playing time in preseason again.

Defensive Line

1

2

3

4

DE

Deatrich Wise Jr.

Clelin Ferrell

Javontae Jean-Baptiste

Norrell Pollard

DT

Daron Payne

Eddie Goldman

Sheldon Day

Ricky Barber

DT

Javon Kinlaw

Jer'Zhan Newton

Carl Davis

Viliami Fehoko Jr.

DE

Dorance Armstrong

Jalyn Holmes

Andre Jones Jr.

The defensive line has a lot of bodies and better quality to stop the run this season. Preseason players to watch, in my opinion, include Jean-Baptiste, Barber, and Goldman. The depth will be a close race when the season approaches.

Linebackers

1

2

3

4

OLB

Von Miller

Jacob Martin

T.J. Maguranyanga

LB

Bobby Wagner

Jordan Magee

Kain Medrano

Ale Kaho

LB

Frankie Luvu

Nick Bellore

Dom Hampton

Kam Arnold

The biggest thing that stands out for the linebacker room has to be rookie Kain Medrano, listed as a linebacker after being labeled as a tweener between linebacker and safety. This could indicate where they feel he is best right now. I'll be keeping count on Medrano's snaps in preseason.

Cornerbacks

1

2

3

4

Marshon Lattimore

Bobby Price

Kevon Seymour

Allan George

Trey Amos

Jonathan Jones

Car'lin Vigers

Mike Sainristil

Noah Igbinoghene

You're reading that right, Quinn put a rookie as the starter already, and it's not a surprise when Trey Amos has had a flawless training camp. The depth with Igbinoghene and Jones gives the Commanders a major boost that's been missing for years. Vigers is a sleeper who can impress in the preseason.

Safeties

1

2

3

4

FS

Quan Martin

Jeremy Reaves

Ben Nikkel

Rob McDaniel

SS

Will Harris

Percy Butler

Tyler Owens

The safety room looks as expected, and Owens is listed at safety after getting some reps at linebacker. Owens is the one player who has a lot to earn in the preseason to fight for a final roster spot.

Special Teams

1

2

3

4

K

Matt Gay

P

Tress Way

H

Tress Way

LS

Tyler Ott

KR

Austin Ekeler

Luke McCaffrey

Demetric Felton

Kazmeir Allen

PR

K.J Osborn

Jaylin Lane

Demetric Felton

Kazmeir Allen

I do not doubt that Jaylin Lane will be the starting punt returner this season. I am surprised that Deebo Samuel isn't listed anywhere as a kick returner since he got a lot of starting reps there with Ekeler.

Remember, this is the first unofficial depth chart for the first preseason game against the Patriots, and there will be a lot of movement as the season gets closer. This is a great foundation to build off of, though, and see how things develop after each game. Rookies like Kain Medrano and Jacory Croskey-Merrit can make a lot of noise in the preseason and shake things up.

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

More must-reads:

Customize Your Newsletter

Yardbarker +

Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!