Washington Commanders way too early 2026 53-man roster prediction (by @Tiller56)

With the first two waves of free agency and the NFL draft in the books, media and fans are beginning to project how the Commanders 53-man roster will look come early fall.

Below is my way too early 53-man roster prediction and color-coded key rating the players from Blue Chip down to Rookie.

Offense: 24

The Commanders 2025 offense wasn’t as bad statistically as the team’s record would suggest.

Washington did struggle with injuries, especially at wide receiver and quarterback, but there were some bright areas – including the offensive line with Laremy Tunsil anchoring the left side, and rookie running back Bill Croskey-Merritt putting up 873 total yards and eight touchdowns in just seven starts.

I have not projected anything here with the potential addition of 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk – who many speculate will join the Commanders as soon as he is released by San Francisco’s petty front office.

You will see some “OR” in between some of these players. That’s where I think we don’t yet have a defined starter, so a good battle could happen during training camp between those positions.

Defense: 26

Washington’s 2025 defense was one of the worst in the NFL. Dan Quinn decided to make a mid-season change by demoting defensive coordinator Joe Whitt from play-calling duties, but that had little effect on the overall product. Whitt was fired at the end of the season and Daronte Jones was brought in as the team’s new defensive coordinator.