The Washington Commanders have questions in the cornerback room, but two have led the way so far in offseason workouts
Week three of OTAs could give some more insight into how the defense is evolving under new coordinator Daronte Jones. With an emphasis on rebuilding the front seven, the Washington Commanders have reason to be optimistic that the offseason moves should translate to better pressure and more sacks in 2026. It already led to Washington being ranked among the biggest defensive spenders in 2026, but that may not be the more pressing question, though.
While the wide receiver room has taken all the attention across the roster, the cornerback room is the one frequently mentioned next after adding a pair of veterans to the room. Amik Robertson proved to be the first free agent signing of the offseason with a chance to bolster the outside rotation while also upgrading the talent among the nickel cornerbacks. Akhello Witherspoon became one of the latest additions where he adds experience to the rotation as he looks to put his injury-ridden 2025 season behind him after playing in only six games.
The duo will be joined by Mike Sainristil and Trey Amos, yet as Amos recovers from the season-ending injury that cut his rookie season short, it's been Sainristil who has gotten the offseason attention. After a lackluster 2025 season followed an encouraging rookie season, the belief is the shift from more man to zone coverage under Daronte Jones could spark a turnaround season with confidence in the Michigan product.
"I like the balance of what I've seen with Amik and [Mike Sainristil] outside. Both of them have similar games in some ways in terms of the competitiveness, the on-the-ball playing, they've got football smarts," head coach Dan Quinn said of the two cornerbacks.
Yet Jones noted that Sainristil and Robertson are "different" type of cornerbacks who has meshed well through offseason workouts, calling them "like two peas in a pod."
"[Sainristil] has ball history coming from Michigan and the things that he's done there. And he has inside-outside flex," Jones said.
Robertson serves as the intensity leader for the unit after Jones noted the former Lions cornerback is a "pitbull out there."
How it translates into production will be the next question with Washington looking to minimize concern about the unit's depth. Veteran Antonio Hamilton was among the long list of players to re-sign with the team this offseason where he can add depth as a boundary cornerback, a chance for the 33 year old to build on a strong end to the 2025 campaign highlighted by a pair of pass deflections in the December win against the Giants.
Whether the pieces prove to be enough will be a question that position coach William Gay will look to address alongside Jones through the final week of OTAs ahead of mandatory minicamp, set to begin next Tuesday, June 16.
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