It's been two weeks since we last visited the Washington Commanders Rookie Power Rankings , but Washington has only played one game since then. The 23-17 loss to San Francisco gave us another look at the rookies before the bye, and while some have strengthened their cases, others haven't done much to help theirs. That said, here is where the class stands after six games.
There's not much reason to move Sonny Styles from the top spot, even if his PFF grades have slipped a bit since our last rankings. Styles followed his 13-tackle performance against the Giants
with another 13 against San Francisco, adding a pass defensed while playing 53 of Washington's 62 defensive snaps. Through six games, he leads the team with 46 tackles, along with a sack, an interception, a forced fumble, and four passes defensed in 361 defensive snaps.
The grades tell us there's still work to do. Styles has dropped from a 71.6 overall PFF grade to 68.9, putting him 24th among 74 qualifying linebackers. His coverage grade has fallen from 75.1 to 72.7, while his 58.0 run-defense grade and eight missed tackles remain areas that need improvement. Still, we're talking about a rookie who has started all six games, handled the green dot when needed, and is already leading Washington in tackles. That's enough to keep him at No. 1.
Antonio Williams made a pretty good case for moving back into the top spot against San Francisco, catching three passes for 50 yards, his most since the season opener. What makes those catches more interesting is when they happened. Williams ran 35 routes but wasn't targeted until the fourth quarter, when all four of his targets came on third down. His three receptions accounted for all three of Washington's successful third-down conversions.
Through six games, Williams has 18 catches for 205 yards and a touchdown, with PFF giving him a 74.0 overall grade, 23rd among 76 qualifying receivers. He's also yet to be charged with a drop.
The bigger news is what comes next. With Terry McLaurin out for the season, Dan Quinn has already said Williams should see more targets
. He played 45 of 67 offensive snaps against San Francisco (67%), so the opportunities have been there in terms of playing time. Now we'll see if Washington actually gets him the ball more often.
Drew Stevens continues to give Washington reasons to feel better about its kicking situation. He made his only field-goal attempt against San Francisco, a 51-yarder, bringing his streak to seven straight makes and his season total to 10-of-12 (83.3%). He's also now made three field goals from at least 50 yards, setting a Washington rookie season record
, while his 57-yarder against Seattle remains the longest by a rookie in franchise history.
The extra points still need attention, with Stevens sitting at 10-of-13 (76.9%), although two of those failures came under unusual circumstances. His 57.3 PFF field-goal grade ranks 29th among 32 qualifying kickers, but seven straight makes and two franchise rookie records after six games are nothing to dismiss.
There isn't much new to report on Matt Gulbin, who hasn't played an offensive snap since starting at right guard against Indianapolis. He finished that game with 64 snaps and remains at 72 for the season, earning a 63.2 overall PFF grade with a 62.7 in pass blocking and 60.9 in run blocking. He's allowed two pressures, including a sack and a quarterback hit, without committing a penalty.
With Sam Cosmi back at right guard and Lucas Patrick starting at center
, Gulbin hasn't been needed again. His starting experience in London is enough to keep him fourth for now.
Joshua Josephs' playing time had been gradually increasing before the San Francisco game, but that trend went in the wrong direction. After playing 20 defensive snaps against the Giants, he dropped to 13 against the 49ers, bringing his season total to 86.
PFF now has Josephs at 44.6 overall, down from 49.0 in our last edition, with a 53.9 pass-rush grade and just one pressure on 34 pass-rush snaps. His 64.4 run-defense grade is considerably better, but the pass-rush production that made him stand out during the preseason still hasn't arrived. With Kaliakmanis moving back toward third-string duties, Josephs' regular playing time is enough to move him up one spot.
We haven't seen Athan Kaliakmanis since his debut against Indianapolis, when he completed 15-of-33 passes for 186 yards, a touchdown, and an interception after Marcus Mariota injured his knee. He was back on the sidelines against San Francisco, with Jayden Daniels playing all 67 offensive snaps.
Mariota has since returned to practice
, so Kaliakmanis could move further away from another opportunity. For now, his 54 snaps in London remain the only regular-season work we have to judge him on.
Tanoa Togiai remains on Washington's active roster, but we're still waiting to see him take his first regular-season offensive snap. He was inactive again against San Francisco, leaving his biggest accomplishment so far unchanged: making the 53-man roster as an undrafted rookie. There's nothing new to judge him on until he gets onto the field.
With the Eagles coming to Washington on Sunday, the rookies will have another opportunity to show where they stand. As the season moves forward, playing time and production will continue to determine who moves up, who falls, and who stays where they are.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/commanders/onsi as Commanders Rookie Power Rankings: Sonny Styles' No. 1 Spot Faces a Real Challenge .
