What Can Washington Commanders Rookies Prove in Training Camp?

The end has officially arrived as rookies are set to arrive in Ashburn for the start of training camp ahead of veterans arriving next Tuesday, July 28, and first practice set for July 29. With that, we take a look at what the Washington Commanders' rookie class can prove over the next month.

Draft Picks: LB Sonny Styles, WR Antonio Williams, edge Joshua Josephs, RB Kaytron Allen, IOL Matt Gulbin, QB Athan Kaliakmanis

UDFAs: WR Jaden Bradley, CB Fred Davis II, RB Robert Henry Jr., WR Chris Hilton Jr., DT Jeffrey M'Ba, TE Quentin Moore, SAF Malik Spencer, K Drew Stevens, OG Tanoa Togiai

LB Sonny Styles

With a chance for the former first round pick to begin taking over as the leader of the front seven, all eyes will soon shift toward how the former Ohio State converted safety fares picking up the defense. While head coach Dan Quinn and general manager Adam Peters both expressed confidence in Styles' ability to take over as the green dot linebacker, how quickly does that happen in camp into preseason? How does the rookie handle the inside linebacker room alongside Frankie Luvu and Leo Chenal? The time for Styles to begin answering those questions has finally arrived.

WR Antonio Williams

The Clemson product arrives in camp with the obvious opportunity to step into the WR2 role. In a room filled with players looking to prove themselves, can the projected slot receiver do exactly that? One of two breakout picks on offense, Williams is a tailor made fit for David Blough's new scheme where his skillset gives the current wide receiver room an Amon-Ra St. Brown type of target who shines with his polished route tree and ability to create separation. While assistant Wes Welker admitted wide receiver is arguably the toughest position transition from college to NFL, camp marks the chance for Williams to prove his value as an impact addition at a position of need.

EDGE Joshua Josephs

Washington has reason to be confident in the revamped edge rusher room, but the former Tennessee adds a different body type to the room. Listed at 6-foot-3 with arms over 34 inches long with a near-84 inch wingspan, Josephs arrives in Washington looking to put it all together. Josephs arrives in Washington with a chance to develop behind an upgraded pass rush, but the question of how developed and impactful Josephs can be remains. Does the SEC product materialize into a rotational piece in year one?

RB Kaytron Allen

Rachaad White and Bill Croskey-Merritt will likely enter as 1A/1B at the top of the unit, but Allen is arguably the X-factor with a chance for the sixth round pick to carve out a role. Fitting the profile as the short yardage back, how Allen handles that will be the biggest question while he looks to silence critics who question his pass blocking given the all-time leading rusher at Penn State allowed zero blocks across over 300 pass blocking snaps.

C Matt Gulbin

The Wake Forest and Michigan State lineman arrives with positional versatility given his experience at both guard and center, yet head coach Dan Quinn noted Gulbin arrived as a center with a chance to cement the two-deep. Julian Good-Jones was another who was mentioned as a candidate in the center competition, while Brandon Coleman also offers versatility to upgrade the two-deep if need be, yet Coleman will battle at left guard with all eyes on Gulbin providing the reinforcement at the anchor. Yet how much does Gulbin push Nick Allegretti, the projected starter? Does Gulbin's fit in a zone blocking scheme heighten the competition through camp?

QB Athan Kaliakmanis

Jayden Daniels returns looking to quiet any concerns about his ability to stay healthy, while the decision to re-sign Marcus Mariota answered any concerns about depth at the position. The question at quarterback is whether Washington carries a third on the roster, but also who becomes the third quarterback as Kaliakmanis looks to battle against Sam Hartman. The former Minnesota then Rutgers quarterback had NFL-caliber receivers at his disposal in KJ Duff and Ian Strong last season, but it was enough to showcase his arm strength after eclipsing 3,100 passing yards in 2025. Which begs the question: will Kaliakmanis' upside outlast Hartman through training camp?

WR Jaden Bradley

With all the talk about the wide receivers, can a UDFA make a case for himself? A former star at DeMatha, where he also teamed up with new safety Nick Cross, Bradley drew praise through OTAs into minicamp before joining several of the skill players for workouts with quarterback Jayden Daniels earlier this month. Washington doesn't have a lot of body types like Bradley where the 6-foot-4 is the tallest receiver on the current roster, and after flashing at Pitt then UNLV, can Bradley do similar in the stadium less than one mile away from where he played in high school?

RB Robert Henry Jr.

With all the talk about the running back room, can a UDFA selection shake up the rotation? The former UTSA star drew intrigue after inking with the team after Henry came off his first 1,000 yard rushing season, including 177 yards and 11.1 yards per carry in the season opening loss against Texas A&M. That also marked the first of four consecutive and five total 100-yard rushing games in his third and final season of college football. Can the 5-foot-9 running back find similar production in training camp? Rachaad White and Jacory Croskey-Merritt round out the top of the room, rookie Kaytron Allen looking to settle in as the short yardage back while Jeremy McNichols and Jerome Ford battle out the depth at the position. Between his blend of vision and speed, can Henry become a disruptor in the race?

K Drew Stevens

After initially being invited to minicamp, Stevens materialized into a UDFA signing after drawing other NFL interest. And for good reason. Stevens ended his time in Iowa ranked second in career points, and while he generated the profile as a kicker with a strong leg, he'll arrive in Washington looking to prove his accuracy in a camp battle alongside Jake Moody. But can he outlast Moody, who proved to be efficient in his short stint in 2025? With potentially more upside at the position, camp gives Stevens a chance to start to prove it.

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