Commanders 53-man Roster Projection After First Preseason Game: New additions steal roster spots from some notable veterans

Commanders 53-man Roster Projection After First Preseason Game: New additions steal roster spots from some notable veterans originally appeared on A to Z Sports.

We are one game into the preseason slate for the Washington Commanders, so it’s time to adjust the 53-man roster projections and see how they change over the final two games.

It was an ugly game overall, and we shouldn’t expect too much movement, but we did see a lot of playing time from depth players, and changes should be made.

Note: Players with a single asterisk (*) are 2025 draft picks, and players with double asterisks (**) are 2025 undrafted free agents.

Quarterback (3)

IN: Jayden Daniels, Marcus Mariota, Josh Johnson
OUT: Sam Hartman

The skinny: Sam Hartman got the start on Friday night, and it took a while for the passing game to get going. I wouldn’t say Hartman found a true rhythm until near the end of the half. The wide receivers didn’t help much with a lot of drops. The offense seemed to flow better with veteran Josh Johnson at QB, and right now he’s winning the battle for QB3.

Practice squad prediction:Sam Hartman

Aug 8, 2025; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; Washington Commanders quarterback Josh Johnson (14) drops back to pass during the first half against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images© Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images

Running Back (4)

IN: Brian Robinson Jr, Austin Ekeler, Jeremy McNichols, Jacory Croskey-Merritt*
OUT: Kazmeir Allen, Demetric Felton, Chris Rodriguez Jr

The skinny: Jacory Croskey-Merritt shined in his first preseason game as expected, and he also surprised me by showing off some of his strength on a couple runs to fight for extra yards. I think McNichols is still there for the team with his goal-line carries and pass protection abilities he had last season. They need to see Brian Robinson Jr. stay healthy before cutting to three running backs.
Practice squad prediction:Chris Rodriguez Jr.

Wide Receiver (6)

IN: Terry McLaurin, Deebo Samuel, Luke McCaffrey, Noah Brown, Jaylin Lane*, Ja’Corey Brooks** OUT: Chris Moore, Mike Strachan, Jacoby Jones**, Michael Gallup, K.J. Osborn, Braylon Sanders, Tay Martin

The skinny: I was pretty disappointed with the depth of the wide receiver room in the first preseason game, and undrafted rookie Ja’Corey Brooks was the only one who caught all of his targets and made the most of the opportunity. He led the team in receiving and snuck into the roster for me. The rest of the room has two games to prove something.

Practice squad prediction: Michael Gallup, K.J. Osborn

Aug 8, 2025; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots cornerback Miles Battle (35) breaks up a pass to Washington Commanders receiver Michael Gallup (12) during the first half at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images© Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images

Tight End (3)

IN: Zach Ertz, John Bates, Ben Sinnott
OUT: Lawrence Cager, Cole Turner, Colson Yankoff

The skinny: Nothing changed here obviously, but Lawrence Cager did have a nice 33-yard catch, so I have to give him props for that. The top three won’t change at all by the time roster cuts come around. I have Colson Yankoff on the practice squad because the team does like him.

Practice squad prediction: Colson Yankoff

Offensive Line (10)

IN: Laremy Tunsil (LT), Brandon Coleman (LG), Tyler Biadasz (C), Sam Cosmi (RG), Josh Conerly Jr. (RT), Nick Allegretti, Andrew Wylie, Trent Scott, Michael Dieter, Timothy McKay**. OUT: Foster Sarell, Bobby Hart, Julian Good-Jones, Chris Paul, Tyre Phillips, Lucas Niang

The skinny: The depth of the offensive line didn’t look too bad last night. Sam Hartman and Josh Johnson didn’t get too much pressure when they were in the pocket. It should be much improved from last season. Having Andrew Wylie, Trent Scott, and Nick Allegretti as depth will help fill in multiple positions if needed.
Practice squad prediction:Tyre Phillips, Lucas Niang

Defensive Line (10)

IN: Von Miller (OLB/ED), Dorance Armstrong (DE), Daron Payne (DT), Javon Kinlaw (DT), Deatrich Wise (DE), Jer’Zhan Newton, Eddie Goldman, Jacob Martin, Javonte Jean-Baptiste, Sheldon Day
OUT: T.J. Maguranyanga, Norrell Pollard, Viliami Fehoko Jr, Clelin Ferrell, Carl Davis,Andre Jones Jr, Jalyn Holmes, Ricky Barber**

The skinny: Newton wasted no time making noise with a strip sack on Drake Maye, but the depth on the line still couldn’t stop the run. They need to get the starters on the field before we can really judge how the line looks as a whole. Keeping Eddie Goldman adds a lot of size and run-stopping on the interior of the line, and Jacob Martin is an under-the-radar player for me.

Practice squad prediction: Clelin Ferrell, Jalyn Holmes, Ricky Barber**

Aug 8, 2025; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; Washington Commanders defensive tackle Johnny Newton (95) reacts during the first half against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images© Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images

Linebacker (5)

IN: Bobby Wagner (MLB), Frankie Luvu (SAM), Jordan Magee, Nick Bellore (ST), Kain Medrano*
OUT: Ale Kaho**, Dominique Hampton, Kam Arnold**

The skinny: Rookie Kain Medrano has flashed in the last few practices, and he stuck his nose in a couple of run plays against the Patriots. He has the leg up right now, in my opinion, and the team listed him as a linebacker on the first unofficial depth chart.

Practice squad prediction: Dominique Hampton, Kam Arnold**

Cornerback (5)

IN: Marshon Lattimore, Mike Sainristil, Trey Amos*, Jonathan Jones, Noah Igbinoghene
OUT: Allan George, Kevon Seymour, Bobby Price, Car’lin Vigers**

The skinny: The depth in the secondary looked rough Friday night, and it pretty much solidified my thoughts that the team can carry just five corners, especially with Jonathan Jones and Noah Igbinoghene as the backups. I didn’t see anything out of the other corners that made them worth keeping. Maybe that changes in the last two preseason games. Will Harris can play corner as well if he ever needs to.

Practice squad predictions: Kevon Seymour, Car’lin Vigers**

Safety (4)

IN: Quan Martin, Will Harris, Percy Butler, Jeremy Reaves,
OUT: Ben Nikkel, Tyler Owens, Robert McDaniel**

The skinny: It’s so hard to keep Tyler Owens off the list, and I think he would be a popular guy they call up from the practice squad. You can only have so many spots, and Jeremy Reaves and Percy Butler both just received contract extensions. All three can play defense and special teams, though, so there’s an argument to make if Owens plays well in the preseason. Reaves had a massive hit and looked great on defense against the Patriots.

Practice squad prediction: Tyler Owens, Robert McDaniel**

Aug 8, 2025; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; Washington Commanders safety Tyler Owens (40) tackles New England Patriots wide receiver Efton Chism III (86) during the second half at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images© Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images

Specialists (3)

IN: Matt Gay (K), Tress Way (P), Tyler Ott (LS)
OUT: N/A

The skinny:Matt Gay missed his first kick as a Commander from 49 yards out, but chipped in a 37-yarder. He has to show consistency before the Commanders call in a backup for a competition.

Overall, I don’t think a lot changed, but I do believe the depth we saw playing for a majority of the game gave us a real idea of who can stick around, and who gets cut. The team will have to bounce back in the next two preseason games and see who fights for a final spot.

This story was originally reported by A to Z Sports on Aug 9, 2025, where it first appeared.

Commanders 53-man Roster Projection After First Preseason Game: New additions steal roster spots from some notable veterans

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