We posted the first version of this list
a little late, after the Detroit Lions
game. Since then, the Washington Commanders
have finished preseason, trimmed the roster
, and started focusing on the upcoming season. More importantly, we've had a couple of weeks to look over film and evaluate the group ourselves, and we're happy to say several of these players will make an impact on the roster in 2026.
These rankings basically weigh three things collectively: 1) improvement over the course of the summer, 2) how much is invested in the player, 3) how important his role is to the team entering the regular season. Below you'll find every rookie this season numbered 1-8.
Aug 22, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Washington Commanders placekicker Drew Stevens (19) kicks an extra point against the Detroit Lions in the first quarter at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Nobody on the roster had the offseason arc that Drew Stevens produced
. Stevens signed as an undrafted free agent to be the guy who pushed Jake Moody
in camp. Only one of them could realistically emerge with the job, and that's just what happened. Stevens stayed consistent and was strong enough in camp that the team named him the starter
and released Moody before preseason ended.
While Sonny Styles
may end up having the more accomplished football role long-term, Stevens did the biggest thing an unknown rookie can do: go undrafted and beat out an incumbent to become the opening day starting placekicker for the Washington Commanders. Then he went out in preseason and backed up the team's decision - making all of his kicks except a 62-yarder. While every rookie below Stevens in this poll improved his standing during camp and the preseason, none of them took control of a position and made it his.
Sonny Styles made the biggest jump
of any player on the list. His previous ranking
had nothing to do with his talent level. He is clearly talented; Washington would have never used a top-10 pick on him otherwise. The question has always been how quickly his athletic ability would translate into understanding NFL defensive concepts. Early in camp, the Commanders were experimenting, still learning how much they could put on his plate. By the time camp closed, Styles
was sharing the green-dot and starting to stand out.
"The football learning was excellent... He had a lot of intent to get it just right, staying late to get... to the details... Frank and he will both make calls on the field," Dan Quinn said.
"You know, like sometimes there's too much to be made of, like, the green dot with the coach calling it in, but the position requires leadership, and he has that at linebacker... I feel like, man, this guy's like one of those people that are just gonna grow as he's going." Seeing Styles
' mental development at the position in such a short time shows the type of player he is, as no other rookie can match the defensive responsibility he'll have to shoulder this season.
Joshua Josephs has been the most consistent rookie riser on the roster
since the pads came out. While he did technically "fall" on this list, it shouldn't be viewed negatively; Styles merely passed him. Josephs was able to capitalize on injuries to players above him on the depth chart
. The extra field time he saw in camp, joint practice sessions, and the preseason led to what defensive coordinator Daronte Jones
loves to see out of his guys: disruption.
What's wild about Josephs' rise over the course of camp is the fact that Washington specifically targeted, and spent a good portion of cap space on that exact position room. After the draft, many wondered if he'd even make the team with Odafe Oweh
and K'Lavon Chaisson added to the mix and Dorance Armstrong returning from injury
. That led to the August question: could Josephs force his way onto the team? Which, of course, after his play on the field, turned into: how many regular-season snaps will the team give him now?
Just saying Antonio Williams made the roster
completely undersells his summer. The Commanders didn't keep Williams because he did enough to qualify as the team's seventh-best receiver. Washington kept seven because Adam Peters believes the group offers different skill sets at each level, but Williams clearly emerged this summer as the rookie who will hold the top offensive role
weekly. He went from competing with a deep group of veterans and young receivers to positioning himself right behind Terry McLaurin
and Stefon Diggs
as the smoke clears and the season becomes the focus.
Williams can attribute his rise to raw skills meeting opportunity at the right time. The best part is his position versatility, since you don't have to pair him with any specific package of players; offensive coordinator David Blough
can move him around in different spots. While Luke McCaffrey
, Jaylin Lane
, Dyami Brown
, and Treylon Burks
all have specific traits they bring to the table, Williams has built a broader offensive case. In the previous rankings, Williams was still fighting for his place in the receiving room; now he's fighting for more touches.
While Kaytron Allen fell two spots since the last listing, don't let that take away what he showed against the Miami Dolphins - 23 carries, 85 yards, and a touchdown - in those moments, Allen showed his physical running style could translate over into the NFL game. Since then, his rookie stablemate Robert Henry Jr. slipped a bit, was cut, and then re-signed to the practice squad , leaving Allen in a three-back group with Jacory Croskey-Merritt and Rachaad White . He only moved back two spots because Styles and Williams have clearer roles than they did when the first list was created. Allen arrived needing to prove his draft value in a crowded room, but will enter Week 1 with a legit place in the rotation.
The moment Athan Kaliakmanis
became more than just a developmental 7th-round pick was after the Detroit game
, when he went 11-of-14 for 162 yards with no turnovers. The staff knew then that it was less about whether this kid was ready to play and more about whether they were willing to risk losing him via waivers. The team did not have to keep three quarterbacks; they chose to, which should tell you all you need to hear about Kaliakmanis' future
.
Peters was impressed by Kaliakmanis
, saying, "He made a lot of really big-time throws in the preseason. And he's not afraid to rip it." Keep in mind, if all goes as this regime plans, Jayden Daniels
is the starter, and Marcus Mariota
is the backup they hope never sees the field. If Washington finds itself in a position where they need another quarterback, 1) the season will already be over, and 2) that third QB would likely come from outside what is currently on the roster. The team clearly doesn't expect Kaliakmanis to throw a pass this season, but plans to protect his roster status. "Athan certainly earned that," Peters said.
Tanoa Togiai represents the undrafted player
nobody envisioned would still be on the roster. Maybe that distinction is based solely on him being the player who benefited most from Brandon Coleman
shifting to left tackle, a fact that matters very little at this point. For a player with no draft investment to hang on in a crowded room filled with veterans, that speaks volumes. Opportunity alone didn't make Togiai a roster winner; what he did with those snaps did.
Washington kept nine offensive linemen and included Togiai in that group over players with substantially more experience. The situation further highlighted the process Quinn and Peters share, where draft status doesn't protect roster spots,
and in Stevens and Togiai's cases, not being drafted won't hold you back either. While his rise is notable, he's still at the developmental stage in his career.
Nick Allegretti
's injury situation forced the team to test a player they entered camp not expecting much from: Matt Gulbin
. Once Allegretti's calf injury became a factor, the team was forced to spend much of camp cycling through center options, both on the team and in tryouts. Gulbin benefited from the unknown and got more field time because of the number of reps left. While he still finds himself behind Allegretti, several other, more experienced options were brought in and then let go.
The center position
carries a different mental burden: snaps, protections, communication, and keeping the offensive line organized all factor into the evaluation. Quinn loved his strength in the pocket. "I thought sometimes with the rookies, you see this progress take place... We're seeing it with Matt in the same way. I love - I feel his strength, Dave, in the pocket. He's not somebody that repeats a lot of mistakes... that's the sign of a mature player who's making a lot of progress... He has good upper-level football smarts to him." With Allegretti expected to start Week 1, the team is placing a lot of trust in Gulbin as developmental insurance nobody expects to play.
As these rookies move forward, everything up to this point has been about earning opportunities, surviving, and earning trust. That phase has ended
, and beginning with Philadelphia in Week 1
, this group will be judged on everything. While the Commanders' rookies spent the summer earning their places, they must now spend this season justifying them.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/commanders/onsi as Final Commanders Rookie Power Rankings: Who Rose Most Before Week 1 .
