Dan Quinn Right to Test Washington Commanders Depth in Minicamp

The start of mandatory minicamp on Tuesday marked the next phase of the offseason for the Washington Commanders as head coach Dan Quinn gets another glimpse into the transitions on both sides of the ball under new coordinators. Yet unlike OTAs, minicamp will give Washington a chance to test what Quinn loves most: the roster's depth.

Quinn noted that some of the players who have gotten "the most reps will get some of the least in this camp," but the reason for that is to test the depth that the coaching staff has grown high on.

That includes Ben Sinnott, who was able to flash as a receiving tight end with a pair of catches on day one, or even an undrafted free agent like kicker Drew Stevens, who drilled all six attempts as he and Jake Moody compete for the starting spot. Yet one year after struggling with depth across the roster, it's what Washington is working to put under the microscope heading into a year three with pressure on delivering wins.

"I really want to shine a light on it to see how competitive the group can get leading into training camp so we can absolutely push one another [to] a higher spot," Quinn said on Tuesday.

With that, Quinn quickly reconfirmed that Washington will use all three days available in minicamp following news that both the Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers canceled.

Minicamp will give Quinn a chance to evaluate the full roster, but he admitted a handful in particular catch his eye more than others.

The running back unit is seemingly wide open as the room battles through snap counts and finalized roles as Quinn pointed to pass protection as an area for Jacory Croskey-Merritt to grow in year two. The cornerback room has plenty of competition with former UDFA signing Car'lin Vigers one who can showcase his potential as a depth piece in the room. So is the quarterback room with the QB3 role up for grabs after the Commanders closed out the 2026 NFL Draft by selecting Athan Kaliakmanis from Rutgers to compete with Sam Hartman.

"Sam and Athan are going to get a lot of reps in this camp," Quinn added.

While the QB3 role may not be as integral to Washington's success in 2026, the running back and cornerback rooms are given the questions about whether the pieces will be enough to deliver what's asked of them. Given how 2025 played out, testing the depth is right move for Quinn with one last chance to work with the team before training camp begins in August. It's why the performance of someone like Treylon Burks could determine whether someone like Brandon Aiyuk or Stefon Diggs materialize into a reality for the Commanders, or whether the front office opts to remain content with the current room.

"If we want to throw the very best camp in 39 days or whatever from now, then having that depth is a big piece of that."

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