Which Commanders (not named Jayden Daniels) could make/break 2026 season?

CommandersOTAs have begun, providing first looks at all the free-agentsigningsand NFL draft picks general manager Adam Peters invested in thisoffseason. Optimismreignsthis time of year, especially for a franchise that went12-5 and then 5-12 in consecutive seasons.

The glory of an NFC championship game appearance is still fresh. So islastseason's disaster. The 2026 campaign's trajectory isinfluenced most by quarterback Jayden Daniels' health.

Ifhe'savailable(and Washington's defense is serviceable),anything'spossible.

That'sa statement of the super obvious.

There are, however, others who can make or break the 2026 campaign with standout or cringeworthy performances.Those in thin position groups could cause the biggest swings.

Who is that guy on the Commanders?Let'sdiscuss thattopic onthis fine Sunday.I'vecome up witha fewnon-Danielssuggestions-let'sformally take the quarterback out of the equation -feelfree to add your own in the comments below.

WR Terry McLaurin

McLaurin's run of 1,000-yard seasons ended in 2025despiteaveraged 15.3 yards per reception on a 63% catch rate, mostly because he missedseven games with a nagging quadriceps injury. The 2026 Commanders receiver corpsisn'tcurrently built to withstand a similar loss. Itdoesn'thave the depthrequiredto make up for such a massive presence, heightening the importance of his availability. Ifhe'son the field, McLaurin can dominate. Ifhe'sgone for a prolonged period, the Commanders are in trouble.

EDGE OdafeOweh

The Commanders bet big, to the tune of $100 million over four years, that Oweh's an ascending talent capable of even better than he has already produced.He'sthe centerpiece of an overhauled Commanders pass rush, and while there's depth and some established producers in the group (K'LavonChaisson and Charles Omenihu) none possessOweh'smix ofexplosivetalentand youth.IfOwehcan'tbecome the dominant force and theCommanderspass rush is pedestrian (or worse), Washington's defense is in big trouble.If he plays the run well, has double-digit sacks and ahigh pressurerate that draws attention away fromothers,this front seven could be ferocious.

CB Trey Amos

There'soptimsimin Washington that Amos can be a top-level NFL cornerback. There were signs of that during a productive 2025 rookie campaign that wascut short by a fracturedfibula.WhileAmik Robertson's additionwill add some stability and there's hope MikeySainristilcan rebound from a rough 2025 campaign,the Commanders needa shutdown-type player on the outside. If Amos recovers well from injury and lives up to his potential, thatwouldgive the secondary a massive lift. Hedoesn'tneed a massive interception count, but making plays on the ball and being tough when targeted will help set a new standard in the secondary. If he struggles, the Commandersdefensive backfield could be in trouble.

K Jake Moody/Drew Stevens

The Commanders re-signed Moody, whohad a 90.9% field-goal conversion rateafter joining Washington off Chicago'spractice squad.Thatdidn'tstop Peters from adding Drew Stevens as an undrafted free agent out of Iowa. Whoevergetsthe regular-seasongig must be locked in from the jump. The Commanders should be competitive enough that one-score games willbe aregularoccurrence.Kicking must be excellent in games where every point matters, in an NFC East that could come down to the wire. Washingtoncan'tbe givinggames away because of the kicker.