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

"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."

"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."

"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."

The Washington Commanders reached the NFC Championship last season despite fielding one of the NFL's oldest rosters around rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels. The roster aged further in the offseason as Adam Peters signed veteran stopgaps after four poor draft classes under Ron Rivera left few foundational pieces. Year 2 of Peters' tenure shows encouraging development from young players. The 2024 class produced mixed results: Mike Sainristil stood out while Ben Sinnott disappointed and Brandon Coleman lost a starting role. Johnny Newton, Luke McCaffrey, Jordan Magee, and 2025 rookies Josh Conerly Jr., Trey Amos, and Jaylin Lane have made notable impacts.

Read at Riggo's Rag