Commanders OT Josh Conerly Jr. looks much different
Commanders OT Josh Conerly Jr. looks much different
Bryan Manning, Commanders WireFri, May 22, 2026 at 10:31 AM UTC
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Commanders OT Josh Conerly Jr. looks much different
Washington Commanders right tackle Josh Conerly Jr. had a rough start to his NFL career in 2025. After playing left tackle at Oregon, the 21-year-old Conerly was tasked with learning a new position in the NFL as a Week 1 starter. Making matters worse, Conerly's first three games came against Brian Burns (Giants), Micah Parsons (Packers) and Maxx Crosby (Raiders).
There were some good and bad moments early for Conerly. That was the case for much of the first half of his rookie season. But Conerly, under the watchful eye of star left tackle Laremy Tunsil, continued to improve throughout his rookie season. It wasn't talked about nearly enough because of Washington's struggles as a team.
The 6-foot-4, 315-pound Conerly started all 17 games as a rookie. He played in 100% of the Commanders' offensive snaps.
We haven't heard much about Conerly this offseason. Tunsil received a new record-setting two-year extension and recently shared videos of him working out and preparing for the 2026 season. While Conerly hasn't shared those types of videos, the Commanders did, showing several players modeling the new (old) uniforms. Conerly was among those players.
What do you notice?
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Conerly looks much leaner heading into his second NFL season.
One of the knocks on Conerly in the pre-draft process was his play strength. Draft analysts felt he needed a little time to adjust his body and strength to the NFL. After all, he was only 21 when he was drafted. We saw his play improve throughout his first year. Now, Conerly looks different heading into Year 2.
Washington has a new offensive line coach in 2026. Darnell Stapleton was promoted from assistant offensive line coach to offensive line coach for two reasons: he's excellent at player development, and he understands the zone-blocking scheme that new offensive coordinator David Blough plans to install. Conerly, along with Tunsil, is an ideal fit for that scheme.
The Commanders may have struck out with their first-round picks from 2020-23, but since Adam Peters took over as GM in 2024, he appears to have laid a terrific foundation with his first-round picks, which include Jayden Daniels, Conerly, and Sonny Styles.
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Washington Commanders: Josh Conerly looks much different in 2026
Source: “AOL Sports”
