We are about a week away from the Washington Commanders' heated match-up with the Philadelphia Eagles, and all of the offseason talk can now be shelved. By this time next week, we will be seeing real-time football, and all the storylines will be juicy.

Later this week, I will focus on the schematic match-ups of the Eagles and Commanders game, and give my predictions on a final score. But today, we will focus on part one of a two-part series: which players I’m excited to see going into next week’s match-up.

Before we get there, let’s get the obvious out of the way: Jayden Daniels is the sun in the solar system, and the Commanders go where he goes. So I am going to exclude him from my "who I'm watching" list because he’s too obvious. Saying I’m watching Jayden’s gameplay is like saying water is wet.

Instead, I’m going to focus on two new additions to the roster and a sophomore looking for a bigger role. These pieces were added by Adam Peters to insulate and take the pressure off of Jayden to ensure he doesn’t have to be "Superman." Can they make an impact in Week 1? How will they play against this vaunted Eagles defense? For Part 1 of our Week 1 preview series, we’re focusing strictly on the offensive side of the ball.

Here are the three offensive players I am most excited to watch against Philly.

With the departure of Zach Ertz, the Commanders needed a reliable target for Jayden Daniels to lean on in the middle of the field. Washington set out to pursue a tight end this offseason, and Okonkwo was at the top of my list.

The former Maryland product is known for creating yards after the catch and has an explosive athletic profile. Built like a wide receiver at 6'3" and 238 pounds, Okonkwo may not have the precise route-running savvy of Ertz, but he should inject a different kind of vertical stress into the offense.

In D.C., he will be playing with the best quarterback of his career. In Tennessee, his ceiling was capped by a revolving door of shaky quarterback play, and now he has a signal-caller with pinpoint accuracy who can lead him up the field.

Okonkwo signed a three-year, $30M deal this offseason to bring some serious youth and explosiveness to our tight end room. The Commanders desperately lacked a true seam-buster last year, especially as Ertz battled injuries down the stretch. Enter Okonkwo, who is coming off career highs with 56 receptions for 560 yards. More importantly, the man is an absolute YAC monster: last season, he ranked 7th among all NFL tight ends in Yards After Catch per reception at 6.2 yards, according to Next Gen Stats.

We haven't seen Okonkwo much this offseason due to the team managing his health, but all signs point to a breakout season for the former Titan. Will this come to fruition, or did we all fall for Ashburn Syndrome? I want to see some heavy targets dialed up for Chig right out of the gate in Week 1. In Tennessee, he thrived on manufactured touches—designed bubble screens, motion out of the backfield, and flexing into the slot to isolate linebackers. If the Eagles try to pin their ears back and play aggressive coverage to slow down Terry McLaurin, Okonkwo should find plenty of green grass over the middle for quick, explosive catch-and-run opportunities.

It’s funny how the narrative shifted in the wide receiver room this offseason. During OTAs in June, there was heavy concern that Jayden didn’t have enough weapons and the room was subpar. And rightfully so—I was concerned as well.

But with the addition of Stefon Diggs, that anxiety has waned, and the rest of the room is slotted much closer to where they belong. Antonio Williams is poised to be a major factor in this offense, and both Peters and the coaching staff seem genuinely enthused with his growth.

The Commanders selected Williams in the third round out of Clemson, and he has simply been turning heads since the moment he stepped onto the practice field in Ashburn. Lauded as a smooth, shifty route-runner, he projects to have a more refined rookie impact than previous mid-round picks like Jaylin Lane and Luke McCaffrey. I'm hoping Williams hits the ground running and carves out a steady rookie slot contribution reminiscent of Jamison Crowder's productive debut back in 2015.

Williams is also known for producing after the catch, boasting an elite 7.8 yards-after-catch per reception average during his final year with the Tigers, proving he's much more than just a gadget player. He brings suddenness, crisp slot polish, and a legitimate 4.41 speed profile that forces safeties to respect his vertical game. PFF draft models loved his separation metrics against man coverage, and the coaching staff has clearly taken notice by rewarding him with plenty of WR3 reps in camp.

I’m looking forward to watching Williams handle his first live action. I think he will benefit from plenty of one-on-one opportunities while defenses key in on Diggs and Terry McLaurin on the outside, alongside Okonkwo working the middle. It would be a massive win for Washington if he produces early and proves he belongs right away.

We’ve talked about the high-profile additions and the rookie spark, but let’s look at a rising piece already in the building. Second-year running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt enters this season with a golden opportunity to carve out a definitive role in the backfield.

As a rookie, "Bill" flashed legitimate burst and tackle-breaking ability on limited touches, generating 800 yards and 8 touchdowns on limited carries. For the first time in what feels like forever, Washington has a back truly capable of taking any handoff to the house—I keep thinking back to his explosive run against the Cowboys where he nearly took it the distance.

When you dig into his underlying metrics, the efficiency is hard to ignore: Croskey-Merritt posted an impressive 3.21 yards after contact per attempt in limited action, showing a violent, slashing running style that routinely turned broken plays into positive yardage. With veterans like Rachaad White and rookie Kaytron Allen providing stability and pass-protection prowess, Croskey-Merritt represents the explosive, home-run upside of this running back room.

Can he carve out a niche as the explosive first-touch back on early downs? The Eagles' front seven is always physical, disciplined, and stout against traditional between-the-tackles runs. If Bill can use his lateral agility to bounce outside or hit cutback lanes with decisive speed, he can keep our offense ahead of schedule and prevent third-and-long disasters. Word out of camp is he's added 15 pounds of functional muscle this offseason; if he can continue refining his pass-catching and pass-protection utility in the backfield, we might be looking at a guy capable of commanding 15+ touches a game. We'll find out soon enough.

Week 1 against Philadelphia is always a measuring-stick game. The vibes are high, the division race starts right now, and the pressure is on the offense to prove that Adam Peters' offseason blueprint has properly insulated our franchise quarterback.

Do Okonkwo, Williams, and Croskey-Merritt step up and give Jayden the supporting cast he needs to slice up the Eagles' defense? We’re about to find out.

Make sure to check back soon for Part 2, where we flip the script and break down the defensive side of the ball. Sound off in the comments or find me on X @Gcarmi21 with your own player-to-watch lists.