Washington Commanders 53-Man Roster Projection: 7 Rookies Make Team

A pre-training camp look at which players should stick on the roster, and who might be left off to start the regular season

Washington Commanders training camp is right around the corner and before you know it everyone will be sick of practice notes and preseason games, pining over the Week 1 opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars hoping we won't be turning to mock drafts before Halloween. 

Fans won't be the only ones eyeing the regular season, as the players on the roster will be as well. 

But who will those players be? Well, you're in luck, because I'm going to tell you exactly who will make the 2022 Washington Commanders roster, right now.

OFFENSE

Quarterbacks (3): Carson Wentz, Taylor Heinicke, Sam Howell (R)

Always nice to start with an easy one, and the only question here will be whether or not Sam Howell shows enough in the preseason to remind everyone why he was once considered a Day 1 NFL Draft lock.

Running Backs (4): Antonio Gibson, J.D. McKissic, Brian Robinson (R), Jaret Patterson

Gibson and McKissic are the established guys here and Patterson showed some solid flashes in his rookie season after being an undrafted free agent. As the newcomer, Brian Robinson is looking to make good on the offseason hype with a strong training camp as he aims to grab significant regular-season touches. 

Tight Ends (4): Logan Thomas, John Bates, Cole Turner (R), Antonio Gandy-Golden

This is an interesting group, but the real intrigue is at that fourth position. Thomas is the established starter when healthy, Bates was arguably the best rookie from the 2021 class, and Turner has flashed at multiple points this offseason after being a fifth-round draft pick this April. That leaves the fourth spot, with the advantage going to converted receiver Antonio Gandy-Golden while Armani Rogers and Curtis Hodges represent two undrafted talents looking to make the decision harder than it already is. 

Offensive Line (9): Charles Leno Jr., Andrew Norwell, Chase Roullier, Trai Turner, Sam Cosmi, Cornelius Lucas, Wes Schweitzer, Saahdiq Charles, Tyler Larsen

It might surprise some to know the Washington offensive line isn't as barren a wasteland as some might expect given that poor quarterback play is often linked to bad protection up front. Even with the departure of Brandon Scherff and Ereck Flowers, once this current group gets Roullier back from injury it'll be as solid as Carson Wentz needs to be successful.

Wide Receivers (7): Terry McLaurin, Curtis Samuel, Jahan Dotson (R), Dyami Brown, Dax Milne, Cam Sims, Marken Michel

The surprise here is going to be Michel (brother of Miami Dolphins running back Sony), and I'll admit this is early workout hype carrying over for the moment. Michel has looked explosive and has made some impressive catches in early practices, ironically enough connecting on deep passes with quarterback Taylor Heinicke. The question really is who becomes the team's return specialists, with Dotson expected to get into that mix as well.

DEFENSE

Safety (5): Kamren Curl, Bobby McCain, Darrick Forrest, Percy Butler (R), Jeremy Reaves

Reaves had arguably the worst play of the OTA period when he collided with receiver Dyami Brown during a non-contact team session, earning the Commanders some strong words from coach Ron Rivera and some additional discipline from the NFL. Despite that, he's been doing much more good and has earned the praise from his coaches. Forrest looks like the front-runner to be the team's Buffalo nickel this season, and the rookie Butler has everyone excited to see what he can develop into in year one.

Cornerback (5): Kendall Fuller, William Jackson III, Benjamin St-Juste, Danny Johnson, Christian Holmes (R)

Washington's coaching staff has praised the efforts and development as second-year cornerback St-Juste as he transitions into playing more inside than out. Meanwhile, Holmes hasn't flashed as much as Butler has at safety, but has looked comfortable as a part of defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio's secondary up to this point.

Linebackers (4): Cole Holcomb, Jamin Davis, David Mayo, Khaleke Hudson

The way I'm looking at this, there are two starting linebackers (Holcomb and Davis) and two backups. Although, if Davis struggles early in his second year, Mayo could be the next man up and would signal an even bigger call to action for the Commanders to address the group widely viewed as its weakest at the moment. 

Defensive line (9): Jonathan Allen, Montez Sweat, Chase Young, Daron Payne, Phidarian Mathis (R), Casey Toohill, James Smith-Williams, Daniel Wise, Shaka Toney

A top-heavy unit that may have underwhelmed last season but still remains hard to crack for less proven linemen. Casey Toohill and James Smith-Williams performed well replacing Chase Young and Montez Sweat when needed, and Daniel Wise provides a fourth interior lineman to support Allen, Payne and Mathis. Meanwhile, the final spot is a toss-up between Toney and Efe Obada. 

SPECIAL TEAMS

Kicker (1): Joey Slye

Punter (1): Tress Way

Long Snapper (1): Camaron Cheeseman

Not a whole lot of doubts here. The only competition for Slye has already been released, and unless he gives Washington a reason, they won't be bringing any real challengers in for training camp. 

So there's our pre-training camp 53-man roster projection. Of course, guys like Chase Young could start the season on injured reserve (IR) or physically unable to perform (PuP) lists, which would change the initial version of this roster come opening day. 

And stay tuned, because training camp is going to help settle some battles, and we'll surely put out another projection as cuts come closer for your Washington Commanders!