The Washington Commanders
are no longer a team entering training camp
just looking for bodies to fill out the 53-man roster
. Those days are gone, and that changes the conversation.
Teams with no direction spend their time during training camp searching for enough players who can help. Better teams spend their time sorting through players on their roster who have something to prove. Washington
finds itself somewhere in the middle of the climb at this point, which should make summer more interesting this year.
With roster spots to be won and roles to be decided
, the pressure starts to build. It is important to remember that it's not all bad. In the NFL, opportunity generally goes hand in hand with how teams use roster pressure to their advantage.
So with that, here are the 10 Commanders facing the most pressure this summer.
Nov 30, 2025; Landover, Maryland, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (10) scrambles from Washington Commanders linebacker Jordan Magee (58) in the third quarter at Northwest Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Pressure Level:6.5/10
With the team making additions to his position room, Jordan Magee will find surviving training camp
and the cut process more difficult this season.
In 364 defensive snaps last season, Magee finished the year with an overall Pro Football Focus grade
of 54.9, which included a run-defense grade of 57.1 and a coverage grade of 53.1. He had 54 tackles, three for loss, but missed seven as well. Those are not numbers that slide him into the automatically safe section of the roster. Especially not after the team invested heavily in the linebacker position this offseason.
In a room that features Frankie Luvu
and just added Leo Chenal
and Sonny Styles
, Magee's way onto the final 53 will most certainly depend on his having a special teams role. With Kain Medrano
and special teams ace Nick Bellore
on the roster, his competition will be strong, even for that role.
Dec 20, 2025; Landover, Maryland, USA; Washington Commanders safety Will Harris (3) celebrates after breaking up a pass intended for Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Devonta Smith (6) in the first half at Northwest Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Pressure Level: 7/10
Will Harris never thought he would have to prove he still belongs in the NFL, but after turning 30 last December, he is trying to do just that with Washington this summer. In nine games last year, Harris recorded 38 tackles, one for loss, deflected three passes, caused a fumble, and got a sack. His overall PFF grade last season
was 58.4, which included a run-defense grade of 61.6 and a coverage grade of 55.3. Those numbers do not make him unplayable, but they do not guarantee him much either.
That is the type of line Harris is walking, as Washington's safety room is not empty by any means. Former Colts
safety Nick Cross
was an offseason addition. The room already included Quan Martin
, Percy Butler
and Jeremy Reaves
, with Tyler Owens
having an edge on special teams and situational downs.
Harris will have to prove
he is still one of the players the staff trusts in training camp.
Pressure Level: 7/10
While Luke McCaffrey is not feeling the same type of pressure a fringe receiver would feel, the pressure to continuously define his role is just as taxing.
McCaffrey's 2025 PFF numbers define
the type of step they wanted to see given the constraints of limited snaps due to injury. He finished with a 72.6 overall offensive grade (in 174 snaps) that included a receiving grade of 72.2, one year removed from posting an overall grade of 54.3 the year before (in 419 snaps).
Now it's up to Washington to turn that progress into a defined role. McCaffrey has shown flashes
of a player ready to prove what he brings to the field. But before he can fully become what he is, the team will need to define what he will do for new offensive coordinator David Blough
's offense.
While not always the player the play is drawn up for, the film shows he finds ways to get open. The next step for McCaffrey is to find the niche he is meant to dominate on this roster.
Pressure Level: 7.5/10
Treylon Burks' ability to play football has never been directly questioned
. Even being the guy who was drafted to replace A.J. Brown
in Tennessee
did not stop that. Injuries, on the other hand, have dealt blow after blow to his career, with him missing games every year since being drafted. Most recently, he injured his finger and needed surgery last season.
In reality, Burks has never played more than 11 games in a single season in his four-year career. He has also never crossed a thousand yards from scrimmage in his 35 appearances as a professional football player.
Training camp will provide him the opportunity to get some separation from the others in the receiving room. He needs to prove he is more than just a name that looks good on the roster sheet.
Pressure Level: 8/10
K'Lavon Chaisson is an intriguing player coming off a season that changes expectations. According to PFF
, Chaisson played 835 snaps last season and produced 74 pressures, which should be music to the ears of any Commanders fan who values disruption.
The rest of his profile is where questions start popping up. His overall PFF grade of 58.9 includes his 61.9 pass-rush grade, his 43.3 run-defense grade, and the worst of all, his 26.9 tackling grade.
In 2025, Chaisson had 31 tackles
, 10 for loss, but missed four in the process. In 10 starts, he had 7.5 sacks and added three more in the playoffs.
Washington is betting that his pass-rush flashes will become more complete football by signing Chaisson to a one-year prove-it deal
. If it does, the Commanders may have found one of the better value additions of their offseason. If it does not, he becomes another rotational body in a room already filled with them.
Odafe Oweh
, Dorance Armstrong
, Charles Omenihu
, Joshua Josephs, Andre Carter II
, and others all factor into the larger picture. But Chaisson's job is to prove he is worth more than just part of the rotation. He needs to show he is part of the solution.
Dec 14, 2025; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Washington Commanders safety Quan Martin (20) tackles New York Giants running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. (29) during the first quarter at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Pressure Level: 8/10
Potential is no longer part of the conversation for Quan Martin
going into year three after 37 NFL starts. Martin played an expanded role last season, logging 927 snaps on the backend. Unfortunately, he was also a prime example of why raw usage does not always settle the debate. He had a great PFF run-defense grade
of 70.4, but his coverage grade fell sharply to 39.0. The worst stat of the section for Martin is his 15 missed tackles and five allowed touchdowns in coverage.
For a safety, those are fatal flaw numbers.
The bigger issue facing the Commanders regarding Martin involves his overall identity
and position depth. Is he playing in the right place? Would he be better served playing big nickel? Can the room support that shift?
Martin finds himself among the 14 players left over
from the former regime who are currently seeking roles in a system that did not draft him.
Pressure Level: 8/10
While the pressure is thick for Josh Conerly Jr.
going into his second professional season, he has also found a mentor in Laremy Tunsil
in the process.
Conerly played in 1,054 offensive snaps last season for Washington. His overall PFF grade
of 59.9, along with a 63.4 run-blocking grade and a 57.8 pass-blocking grade, shows he still has work to do. His PFF profile shows he also allowed 43 pressures and committed 13 penalties.
Young offensive linemen take their lumps, but the process also needs him to show progression, and that right tackle will not become one of the quiet concerns hanging over the Commanders' offense
.
Dec 25, 2025; Landover, Maryland, USA; Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott (4) is sacked by Washington Commanders defensive tackle Jer'Zhan Newton (95) during the second half at Northwest Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Pressure Level: 8.5/10
Johnny Newton's development can shape Washington's defensive front well into the future
. That's why the pressure he is feeling heading into his third season is real.
Newton's 2025 PFF profile showed
declines in several areas, including an overall grade of 47.7 and a run-defense grade of only 36.7, which is concerning. On the other hand, his 66.8 pass-rush grade was an improvement, along with his 27 pressures and five sacks, which is something the team can build on.
Washington is looking for an interior push in their defense and hopes to get that from Newton, not a space filler. They need someone who can disrupt the pocket, muddy up protections, and force offenses to account for him before the snap.
Dec 20, 2025; Landover, Maryland, USA; Washington Commanders place kicker Jake Moody (16) reacts after a field goal against the Philadelphia Eagles during the first half at Northwest Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Pressure Level: 9/10
Simply put, Jake Moody must win the kicking competition. There is no ground to stand on from last season's success that will guarantee him anything. In fact, you could say Moody's pressure is different from all other players on the roster because of the very thin amount of grey area.
Either he wins the kicking job and continues for the entire season, or he does not.
Moody helped his case after making 10 of 11 field goal attempts, including both attempts for outside of 50 yards with the Commanders in 2025. Washington should not just judge that good stretch; it should search for reasons to believe that when the pressure is on, he can be trusted.
That is where UDFA Drew Stevens makes this conversation
more than just a formality you would normally get with just any camp body kicker. At Iowa last season, Stevens made 20 of 26 field goals, including four of six from 50+ yards. The season before, he was 19-22 and 5-for-5 from 40-49 yards.
With the issues Washington has faced in recent years, they need to nail this one down long before the second preseason game
comes into question.
If history is any witness, a kicker battle is quiet until it is not.
Dec 20, 2025; Landover, Maryland, USA; Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Cooper Dejean (33) greets Washington Commanders tight end Ben Sinnott (82) after the game at Northwest Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Pressure Level: 9.5/10
Without a doubt, the easiest choice for the top spot is tight end Ben Sinnott, whose pressure is actually bigger than his own stat line.
In 33 career games
, Sinnott has 16 catches for 142 yards and two touchdowns. According to his PFF
grades, he did show growth last season. His overall grade jumped from 53.2 in 2024 to 62.0 in 2025, while his receiving grade climbed from 49.1 to 62.9. His run-blocking grade held steady, going from 62.3 to 63.6.
While that is progress, it does not show up enough in the stat sheet yet to justify the second-round pick the team used on him in the 2024 NFL Draft. Now, he's not a roster-bubble player by any means, but at some point he's going to have to make the transition from prospect to contributor. Washington needs that jump to begin in year three.
The pressure Sinnott will feel this season
is not about survival, at least not this year. It's about roster identity. Washington knows what they have in the room: one of the best blocking tight ends, John Bates
, and the dynamic Chig Okonkwo, whom they want to expand on what he has been used for in the past.
What the Commanders need to learn is how good Ben Sinnott is. Does he change the room?
Washington is not expecting every player on this list to become a star. That, essentially, is what training camp is all about. But they are searching for answers.
The answers they are searching for will tell them which young players are ready for more, which veterans are still a fit, which offseason additions can be trusted, and which roster battles will make cutdown day awkward.
That is what roster math on better rosters creates. For Washington, that may be the real sign of progress.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/commanders/onsi as Commanders Training Camp Pressure Index: 10 Players With the Most to Prove .
