Projecting the Washington Commanders Initial 53-Man Active Roster

With the preseason wrapped up, here's our shot at guessing the Washington Commanders' 53-man roster.

David Harrison | Aug 26, 2024

Aug 10, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels (5) hands off to running back Brian Robinson Jr. (8) during the first quarter against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports / Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

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Washington Commanders

LANDOVER, Md. -- The Washington Commanders' training camp and preseason is a wrap, and all that's left to do is form their initial 53-man roster.

Important to note, of course, this is an initial Commanders roster and moves are bound to come as the team fully forms it's team and also reacts to any future injuries that may come up or may be already be part of the equation.

That being said, like mock drafts, we don't expect to nail every name here, but this is how we see the Washington active roster taking shape in its first form.

Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels and running back Brian Robinson Jr.

OFFENSE (25)

QUARTERBACKS (2): Jayden Daniels - Marcus Mariota

RUNNING BACKS (3): Brian Robinson Jr. - Austin Ekeler - Jeremy McNichols

WIDE RECEIVERS (6): Terry McLaurin - Dyami Brown - Olamide Zaccheaus - Luke McCaffrey - Jamison Crowder - Brycen Tremayne

TIGHT ENDS (4): Zach Ertz - John Bates - Ben Sinnott - Cole Turner

OFFENSIVE TACKLES (4): Brandon Coleman - Andrew Wylie - Cornelius Lucas - Trent Scott

OFFENSIVE GUARDS (4): Nick Allegretti - Sam Cosmi - Ricky Stromberg - Chris Paul

CENTERS (2): Tyler Biadasz - Michael Deiter

If there's a surprise here it's that the team kept Tremayne as the sixth receiver, but after a superb training camp and the fact he possesses the kind of height and downfield ability nobody else on the roster does he should be in the running for a spot on the active roster just two years after coming to the team as an undrafted free agent out of Stanford.

Meanwhile, tight end Cole Turner may be the most dissappointing player in training camp as he not only hasn't shown much as a further developed blocker, but seems to have regressed as a receiver dropping several passes this preseason.

DEFENSE (25)

DEFENSIVE TACKLES (4): Jonathan Allen - Daron Payne - Jer'Zhan Newton - John Ridgeway

DEFENSIVE ENDS (5): Dorance Armstrong Jr. - Clelin Ferrell - KJ Henry - Javontae Jean-Baptiste - Andre Jones Jr.

OUTSIDE LINEBACKERS (3): Frankie Luvu - Dante Fowler Jr. - Jamin Davis

MIDDLE LINEBACKERS (2): Bobby Wagner - Jordan Magee

CORNERBACKS (5): Benjamin St-Juste - Emmanuel Forbes - Michael Davis - Mike Sainristil - Noah Igbinoghene

SAFETIES (6): Jeremy Chinn - Quan Martin - Percy Butler - Jeremy Reaves - Darrick Forrest - Tyler Owens

This unit is a bit tricky as the new kickoff rules open the door for more safeties to make the roster and fewer linebackers, but what we don't know is how big that shift might be.

Undrafted free agent Tyler Owens has made a lot of noise this training camp and preseason and his blend of physicality and versatility seems to fit this team well.

We do expect linebacker Jordan Magee and defensive tackle Jer'Zhan Newton to land on either injured reserve (IR) or physically unable to perform (PUP) lists, but both should start on the active roster before receiving their respective designations.

Once those take place, Washington will have to fill those spots with other players. Candidates like defensive tackles Phidarian Mathis and Taylor Stallworth and linebackers Anthony Pittman or Mykal Walker could be added to the active roster if and when that happens.

SPECIALISTS (3)

KICKER (1): Cade York

PUNTER (1): Tress Way

LONG SNAPPER (1): Tyler Ott

On the specialists list the only question mark is York who just joined the team via trade with the Cleveland Browns. Washington is expected to add another kicker post cutdown day after other NFL teams trim their units, so that competition is not likely completed at this point.

NFL teams have until 4 p.m. ET Tuesday to trim their rosters, so we'll know soon how accurate we were, and more importantly which players will be on the first 53-man roster for the 2024 Commanders.

Stick with CommanderGameday and the Locked On Commanders podcast for more FREE coverage of the Washington Commanders throughout the 2024 season.

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Published Aug 26, 2024

DAVID HARRISON

David Harrison has covered the NFL since 2015 as a digital content creator in both written and audio media. He is the host of Locked On Commanders and a graduate of the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism at Arizona State University. His previous career was as a Military Working Dog Handler for the United States Army. Contact David via email at david.w.harrison82@gmail.com or on Twitter @DHarrison82.