Will Commanders Jaylin Lane be an elite NFL punt returner again in 2026?

Breaking down Washington’s roster by certainty, competition and need

Think of it as inventory — what’s here, what’s missing, and what’s about to be decided. Rather than force a rigid Week 1 roster projection, this exercise separates locks and strong bets from bubble players and long shots. The latter groups — along with potential free-agent additions — are listed after the position-by-position breakdown. The goal isn’t precision. It’s clarity on how general manager Adam Peters and head coach Dan Quinn might approach the final decisions — and where help is still required. **Running back (3) — Jacory Croskey-Merritt, Rachaad White, Kaytron Allen** The roles are clean. The résumé isn’t. “Bill” Croskey-Merritt projects as the lead option, White handles passing downs, and Allen offers power. What’s missing: true breakaway speed — and proven production. Croskey-Merritt and Allen combine for just one NFL season. **Tight end (3) — Chig Okonkwo, John Bates, Ben Sinnott** This might be the offense’s biggest philosophical shift. Under former OC Kliff Kingsbury, Washington leaned heavily on 11 personnel, or lineups with one tight end. New coordinator David Blough is expected to incorporate more under-center looks and heavier groupings, similar to the system of his former Lions coordinator, Ben Johnson. That means more 12 and 13 personnel — the Bears under Johnson were top six in the use of two and three TE sets last season —and more relevance for the entire room. **Final spots (6)**

• **QB** — Athan Kaliakmanis, Sam Hartman, TBD
• **RB** — Jeremy McNichols, Jerome Ford, *Robert Henry*
• **WR** — Van Jefferson, TBD, Jacoby Jones, Ja’Corey Brooks, Nick Nash, *Chris Hilton Jr., Jaden Bradley*
• **TE** — Colson Yankoff, Lawrence Cager, *Quentin Moore*
• **OL** — Trent Scott, Julian Good-Jones, Foster Sarell, Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu, Tim McKay, Tyler Cooper, *Tanoa Togiai*
• **DL** — Deatrich Wise, Drake Jackson, D.J. Davidson, Shy Tuttle, Ricky Barber, *Jeffrey M’ba*
• **ER** — Javonte Jean-Baptiste, Andre Carter II, T.J. Maguranyanga (IPP)
• **LB** — Kain Medrano, Ale Kaho, Nick Bellore
• **CB** — TBD, Tre Hawkins, Darius Rush, Car’lin Vigers, Robert McDaniel, *Fred Davis II*
• **S** — Tyler Owens, Qwuantrezz Knight, *Malik Spencer*
• **K** — Jake Moody, *Drew Stevens* Don’t take this as gushing about the overall roster, but there’s more legitimate competition for the final spots here than in recent years. Four or five defensive linemen and edge players may be battling for one job. Players like Bellore and Owens bring value beyond their listed positions via special teams. Yankoff is the favorite for TE4, but Quinn’s recent positive comments about Cager’s potential keep the door open. Scott and Medrano feel like early favorites among the fringe. Maybe McNichols joins that subset if Washington keeps a fourth RB over a seventh WR or a third QB. This is the quiet phase of roster building — when the names are known, but the roles aren’t. Over the next four months, Washington won’t just chop and trim the roster.. It will define how it wants to play. **The Athletic** (paywall)

Post-draft outlook for all 32 NFL teams: Which rosters improved most? Who got worse?

**Washington Commanders** On paper, Washington seems to be set up well for improvement after a disappointing 5-12 season. Much of the team’s offseason focus was on rebuilding the defense, and the Commanders found a critical piece of their long-term future there in first-round LB Sonny Styles. The Commanders also bolstered their pass rush and found more depth with Joshua Josephs, a fifth-rounder with rare length and explosiveness. What Washington still seems to lack is another offensive playmaker alongside Jayden Daniels and Terry McLaurin. Maybe the Commanders will find it later in the offseason, or maybe third-round receiver Antonio Williams will exceed expectations and become a go-to target. — *Nicki Jhabvala* **Commanders Roundtable**

Assessing Washington’s Day 3 draft picks

**QB Athan Kaliakmanis** Maybe the most surprising of all six picks during the 2026 NFL Draft, Kaliakmanis drew consistent interest from the Commanders during the draft process. That materialized into the former Rutgers and Minnesota quarterback becoming Washington’s final pick of the draft where he arrives with comparable measurable to Sam Hartman, the one who he likely competes against for the third quarterback spot. Kaliakmanis may have a leg up with his mobility and slight edge in arm strength to Hartman, and given Hartman was passed over for the starting job to close out the final two games of the 2025 season, this could materialize into an underrated storyline through the offseason into preseason. And with Mariota back again on another one year deal, maybe Kalaikmanis can provide enough confidence as a rookie to get a shot at taking the backup role in 2027. **A to Z Sports**

5 way-too-early (and very optimistic) predictions for the Commanders’ 2026 season

**Jaylin Lane leads the league in punt return touchdowns again** The Commanders knew exactly what they were getting in Lane when they drafted him last year and he didn’t disappoint. Lane finished the year with two punt return touchdowns, which tied for the league lead. His 314 punt return yards were good for eighth-most and his average of 13.7 yards per punt return finished fifth-best. Lane immediately added a dynamic element that opposing teams have to account for. Look for Lane to make even more big plays in 2026. The kid is a dynamic, smooth returner that can make anyone miss at any time and Larry Izzo will continue to develop those skills. If he can add a kick return element to his game, then the Commanders could have a perennial Pro Bowl returner for the foreseeable future. Either way, he won’t tie for the league lead in punt returns this year – he’ll take it for his own. **Riggo’s Rag**

7 Commanders suddenly cast as sidekicks after Adam Peters’ roster shakeup

**Drake Jackson – Commanders DE/OLB** Adam Peters had one priority above all else this offseason. The Washington Commanders needed to acquire the edge-rushing upgrades needed to make things easier for the defense. And the general manager achieved this objective with a flurry of new acquisitions. Odafe Oweh was the big-money arrival in free agency. K’Lavon Chaisson was willing to bet on himself with a one-year deal. Charles Omenihu brings experience and depth, and Day 3 draft pick Joshua Josephs is already being tabbed as a steal. With Dorance Armstrong Jr. also making good progress from a serious knee injury, the Commanders have an abundance of weapons for Daronte Jones to utilize. Unfortunately for players like Drake Jackson, this decreases their chances of making the team. Jackson came on board last season after the San Francisco 49ers finally gave up. He’s got talent, but cannot seem to stay healthy. The Commanders saw enough to give him another one-year deal, but that comes with no guarantees whatsoever.

**Podcasts & videos**

Second thoughts on the Commanders’ revamped D… | JOHN KEIM REPORT

Washington Commanders Have Had A BAD OFFSEASON? 😳 Colin Cowherd REACTS | THE HERD | NFL

**NFC East links**

**Blogging the Boys**

4 Cowboys on the chopping block following the draft

**Jonathan Mingo** Having given up a fourth-round pick to acquire Mingo a few years back, the Cowboys haven’t gotten much return on the relatively steep investment. Once Dallas added George Pickens, Mingo’s path to a more substantial role on the team became less and less likely. The Cowboys have created a logjam at wide receiver. CeeDee Lamb, Pickens, and Ryan Flournoy should be locked in as the top three receiver options. Meanwhile, KaVontae Turpin is secured on the team because of return duties. That leaves realistically one, maybe two, spots left on the team at wide receiver. Dallas added Parris Campbell, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, and drafted Anthony Smith in the seventh round. It’s become apparent that at the bottom of the roster, the Cowboys are searching for speed. If it comes to only five receivers, Mingo could be on the outside looking in. **Pro Football Talk**

Cowboys tried to trade up to No. 9 during the first round

The Cowboys traded up one spot before taking safety Caleb Downs in the first round of this year’s draft, but that deal only came after an attempt to move even higher was rebuffed. A clip from ESPN’s *The Pick Is In* shows Browns general manger Andrew Berry fielding a call from Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones while on the clock at No. 9. Berry turned down Dallas’s offer of their No. 12 and No. 20 picks for No. 9 and No. 24, and he did not change his mind when Jones offered to add a fifth-round pick to the offer. The offer suggests the Cowboys thought that the Giants were going to take Downs at No. 10 as that was a frequent link during the mock draft season. The Giants wound up taking tackle Francis Mauigoa and the Cowboys wound up sending two fifth-rounders to the Dolphins to move up to No. 11 for Downs. They later traded down three spots from No, 20 and picked up two fourth-round picks. **Outkick**

Cooper DeJean and Dallas Cowboys cheerleader Abby Summers hit the Kentucky Derby red carpet

*A teammate confirmed it was ‘hard launch day’ after the couple hit the Derby red carpet on Saturday* You have to hand it to Philadelphia Eagles defensive back Cooper DeJean and Dallas Cowboys cheerleader Abby Summers. These two appear to be choosing love over divisional rivalry. This isn’t going to sit well with some fans from both NFL franchises. One is a highly skilled second-round pick who won a Super Bowl as a rookie, the other a member of America’s Sweethearts. Take the rivalry out of it, as hard as that is for some to do, and this is exactly the type of relationship the NFL needs. Two young NFL stars working hard to leave their mark on the league. DeJean and Summers were among those who made an appearance on the Kentucky Derby red carpet on Saturday. This comes after the two were spotted together at Iowa’s Elite Eight loss in March. View Link

**NFL league links**

Articles

**Pro Football Talk**

Still no certainty on the exact date of mid-May NFL schedule release

If recent history means anything, the NFL’s full, 272-game regular-season schedule will be released during the week of May 11, most likely on Wednesday, May 13. Recent history may not mean much. Via John Breech of CBS Sports, NFL V.P. of broadcast planning Mike North has said that the schedule could be released during the week of May 18. “Most fans know full well that the schedule comes out in mid-May now,” North said in an appearance on the *It’s Always Game Day in Buffalo* podcast. “That’s what we’ve done the last five or six years. That’s sort of our target. Is there any magic to May 12, 13, 14? No. Is there any real downside to [May] 19, 20 or 21? No.” The NFL has yet to announce a specific date for the announcement of the schedule. **The Athletic** (paywall)

It wasn’t just the Fail Mary: Looking back at the NFL’s 2012 replacement referee debacle

Toney Brasuell was sound asleep the night of Sept. 24, 2012, when his wife nudged him awake and told him to turn on the TV. “You’re gonna wanna watch this,” she said. “It doesn’t look good.” A financial adviser based in Benton, Ark., Brasuell spent the previous two months moonlighting as an NFL replacement official, working four preseason games and the first three weeks of the regular season while the regular refs warred with the league over a new contract. Brasuell’s crew had excelled, he believed, earning multiple prime-time assignments and never hearing a word from the NFL about a missed call or sloppy sequence. But what he witnessed that night on TV — nonstop replays of what would become one of the most controversial calls in league history followed by 10 minutes of chaos and confusion — confirmed his suspicion. This was going to cost him his dream job. The enduring image from that fall — the disastrous ending to a Packers-Seahawks “Monday Night Football” game that Toney Brasuell woke up to — offers a snapshot into one of the NFL’s most embarrassing chapters. It wasn’t just that the replacement refs standing inches away missed obvious offensive pass interference by Seahawks receiver Golden Tate on his game-winning Hail Mary catch, which would have negated the score and clinched a victory for the Packers. It’s that they also missed the fact that Green Bay safety M.D. Jennings came down with the ball first. Yes, the Fail Mary was *that* bad. And for the most part, the replacement ref experiment of 2012 was, too. Most weren’t ready for the big stage. “It was like a rookie player coming in,” said Norv Turner, who was in his sixth and final season as coach of the San Diego Chargers. “I remember it was really easy for the replacement officials to be in awe of the players, even some of the coaches. You were wondering if guys were coming out to get autographs or coming out to officiate the game.” It hit Mike Wilmoth, a head linesman from South Haven, Kan., immediately. He’d spent his career in the high school and junior college ranks, then was tapped to officiate the “Sunday Night Football” opener in Denver. “When they introduce a guy like Peyton Manning, the whole stadium shakes,” Wilmoth said. “Let’s just say that doesn’t happen at Pittsburg State.” The gaffes piled up, both on the field and off. One replacement ref bungled the coin toss before the Hall of Fame game. Another gave the Seahawks an extra timeout in a Week 1 loss to the Cardinals. One was pulled from the job hours before a Week 2 Saints-Panthers game after it was discovered he was a passionate Saints fan — his Facebook page was littered with photos of him tailgating in Saints gear weeks earlier. During a Week 3 game, one replacement official allowed 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh to challenge two calls even though he was out of timeouts. The same day, Cowboys receiver Kevin Ogletree slipped on an official’s hat in the middle of the end zone before missing a touchdown grab. “Lucky he didn’t blow out an ACL,” Joe Buck, then of Fox, said on the call. In overtime in Tennessee, Wilmoth’s crew enforced a penalty from the wrong 44-yard line, gifting the Titans 12 free yards in a game they won on a 27-yard field goal. Frustrations began to boil over. The same day, Washington offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan — flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct during a loss to Cincinnati — followed a replacement official down a stadium hallway after the game, spewing profanities at him. With each error, and with each ensuing controversy, the chorus of criticism intensified. “Would you let a Toyota dealership work on your brand-new Rolls-Royce? That doesn’t work right, does it?” vented Cowboys safety Gerald Sensabaugh. “Week 2 was a disaster,” rules guru Mike Pereira told The New York Times. “Week 3 is the Titanic.” The sequel could be headed for NFL stadiums this fall, thanks to stalled negotiations between the league and the NFL Referees Association. The NFL has started onboarding potential replacement refs and informed its clubs in mid-April that they could be on the field for offseason practices as early as June 1. The league also passed a new rule that allows the officiating command center in New York to consult with referees during a game, and even enforce penalties the on-field officials might have missed. Brasuell said his crew chief has already received word from the league: Be ready.

**Discussion topics**

**Mike Tanier – Too Deep Zone** (subscription)

A deep dive into why I am (rather vehemently) projecting the Packers to miss the playoffs in 2026

Starters are better than their backups. There are exceptions. Starters get old, injured and/or complacent but maintain their coaches’ trust for a while. Backups, especially if they are top prospects, develop quickly. It’s likely that a 2026 first-round pick is better than the journeyman who is currently in front of him on the depth chart. These exceptions become rarer, however, as time passes. Backups who are better than starters rapidly become starters. If they don’t rapidly become starters, whatever their draft pedigree, it means that they are not as good as the players they aren’t able to supplant. This brings us to the Green Bay Packers, a perennial playoff team that has replaced many of its starters with their backups, and will therefore decline in 2026. **Let’s switch over to edge rusher** The Packers drafted Lukas Van Ness 13th overall in 2023. He has started two games and recorded 8.5 sacks in three years. If the Vikings, Lions or Bears drafted an edge rusher 13th overall, and that defender notched just 8.5 sacks in three years, Cheeseheads would call him a “bust” and troll rival fans about him. Micah Parsons led the Packers in every sack-related category in 2025, of course. Rashan Gary finished second with 7.5 sacks and 48 pressures. Kingsley Enagbare, a fourth-year role player, finished third with 23 pressures. Van Ness recorded 17 pressures. Gary and Enagbare started the playoff loss to the Bears, though Van Ness (47) ended up with more snaps than Gary (42). Gary has been an inconsistent-motor guy for years. He failed to step up when Parsons was injured, though he did record six pressures (per both Pro Football Focus and Sports Info Solutions) in that playoff loss. Packers fans said “good riddance” when the team traded Gary to the Cowboys for a fourth-round pick. Enagbare then signed with the Jets. That leaves Van Ness as the starter opposite Parsons. In other words, the Packers replaced their fading edge rusher with the guy who spent three years failing to not only unseat him but the team’s primary backup as well. Whatever you think of Gary, Van Ness spent three years proving that he is not as good. Heck, the Packers might never have traded for Parsons if Van Ness had developed into the player they hoped he would be! The Packers used the Gary pick on Penn State edge rusher Dani Dennis-Sutton. We can debate Dennis-Sutton’s merits all you like: if you think a fourth-round edge rusher can supplant Van Ness, then you are making my point for me. **In Summary …** Let’s check out the position-by-position tally for the Packers.

• **Quarterback:** Very slight downgrade (Willis to Ridder).
• **Running Back:** Slight downgrade.
• **Wide Receiver:** Moderate downgrade.
• **Tight End:** Even. We’ll discuss Kraft’s return in a moment.
• **Offensive Line:** Moderate downgrade.
• **Edge:** Significant downgrade, including Parsons’ current health status.
• **Defensive Tackle:** Slight upgrade.
• **Linebacker:** Even.
• **Secondary:** Very slight upgrade.
• **Special Teams:** Even.
• **Coaching:** Slight downgrade (Hafley to Gannon). Overall, the Packers roster has declined significantly across most position groups. I have really thought about the Packers, not as a fan or local reporter, or as some Bears fan, or even in wearing my Defector *Why Your Team Sucks* pinch-hitter’s cap, but as someone who has analyzed 32 NFL teams for 20 years. I am not some Packers hater. I don’t make any hay by criticizing them. I just spotted a team moving backwards in the offseason, then got a lot flak for pointing it out. If I’m wrong, it wouldn’t be the first time. But if I am right and the Packers do decline, remember where you heard about the possibility first.

**aBit o’Twitter**