Commanders drop significantly in a key area
Commanders drop significantly in a key area
Serena Burks, Commanders WireSat, July 25, 2026 at 1:17 PM UTC
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The Washington Commanders' organization has undergone a ton of changes over the last few years. Ownership has changed hands. New head coach. New general manager. A second set of new coordinators. Roster changes. Adam Peters had his hands full when he first joined the Commanders, but he and Dan Quinn helped lead the team to its first NFC Championship game in 33 years behind Jayden Daniels' Offensive Rookie of the Year campaign.
There was a letdown in 2025 as the team suffered a slew of injuries, but Peters set out again in 2026 to make changes to improve the team as a whole. So far, the changes seem to be good decisions for the upcoming season, but how well has Peters done to create a path for future success? ESPN's Aaron Schatz set out to analyze all 32 teams' players who are under the age of 25, which helps predict how successful a team will be in the future. You can read his methodology here. The Commanders came in at 25.
Last year's rank: 3
Blue chips: OT Josh Conerly Jr., LB Sonny Styles
Notable graduated players: QB Jayden Daniels, CB Mike Sainristil
The Commanders fall far down our list now that Daniels doesn't qualify. Sainristil, Brandon Coleman, Luke McCaffrey, Jordan Magee, Jacory Croskey-Merritt and Leo Chenal also don't count.
That still leaves some young talent from the past couple of drafts. First-rounder Styles doesn't turn 22 until November, a few days after Conerly will be 23. Safety Nick Cross, recently signed from Indianapolis, will turn 25 on Sept. 10. Defensive tackle Jer'Zhan Newton will be 24 on Aug. 31. Cornerback Trey Amos and wide receiver Jaylin Lane are both 24, while third-round slot receiver Antonio Williams just turned 22.
Peters' goal of making the defense younger has certainly been accomplished with the names mentioned above, but there aren't many offensive players under the age of 25. This only fuels the fire for those asking if the Commanders have done enough to support Jayden Daniels.
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Of the 21 players the Commanders currently have on their roster who are under the age of 25, only eight of those players are not rookies. That means 13 of the players under 25 are rookies, and six of those players were drafted, which leaves seven undrafted free agents, of which only one or two have the potential to make the final roster.
So far, Adam Peters has managed to use free agency to improve the roster each year. However, this tactic can only work for so long. Dan Quinn and the coaching staff must focus on developing the organization's younger players so that they have a future for the foundation they are laying now. Unfortunately, this ranking isn't helped by the previous regime's draft failures.
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Commanders drop significantly in a key area
Source: “AOL Sports”
