Washington Commanders
The overall performance of Washington’s defense in 2025 ranked in the lower third of the league, necessitating the firing of Joe Whitt Jr. at the end of last season. Daronte Jones was brought in to correct the issues with the defense, and Dan Quinn has asserted the new defensive coordinator will have full control of the defense and implement his own scheme. Previously, we looked at several coverage schemes that Jones might utilize to disguise his secondary and keep the offense on their heels. Today, we break down how the personnel on the current roster fit what Jones wants to...
Hogs Haven
The 5 o’clock club is published from time to time during the season, and aims to provide a forum for reader-driven discussion at a time of day when there isn’t much NFL news being published. Feel free to introduce topics that interest you in the comments below.
*As always, it’s worth noting that I am no more qualified than any other NFL fan to assess players. My role as a writer on Hogs Haven is based primarily on having sufficient time and motivation to post articles daily...
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NFL.com
I’ve gathered 10 such rookies, trying to focus on players who are A) ready to produce right away, B) primed to meet an immediate team need, C) entering a favorable developmental situation or D) all of the above. Organizational stability and competitiveness factored in, as well.
Rank 1 – Sonny Styles – Ohio State · LB
Washington Commanders
We already know Styles has the kind of athletic profile that gets folks googly-eyed. Now picture him using his superpowers to...
Hogs Haven
To conclude this year’s preview of the Mason/Brennan Preseason Hype! Award contest, the final instalment takes a look at the Dark Horses and Sleeper candidates.
These are the “other guys”, players who for one reason or another are facing an even steeper climb to grab fans’ attention than the players we saw on Day 1 and Day 2.
Some landed here because they are battling to overcome athletic limitations. Others might be facing their last chance to gain roster traction after failing to catch on in previous seasons. One...
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Washington Commanders general manager Adam Peters said he didn’t think former Ohio State LB Sonny Styles would be available when they got on the clock for the seventh overall pick. It was an easy decision for the team, and he said Styles checked all the boxes as a person and as a football player.
“Sonny checks all the boxes right away, and just in terms of the person, the football character, the intelligence. Everything you would want off the field. Leadership, you talk about the guys at Ohio State, the coaches, his teammates, they all revere him as a...
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Commanders Roundtable
[T]he Amon-Ra St. Brown comparison is the right one. St. Brown entered the league as a mid-round pick who won with craft, separation, and reliability rather than raw athleticism. Williams has the same profile — 70-plus PFF receiving grades against man, zone, at every level, in pressure situations, in blitz situations. The production dipped in 2025 because the offense around him fell apart, not because he did. That’s an important distinction when projecting what he does next to Jayden Daniels and Terry McLaurin....
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Editor’s note: Everyone’s excited about the Commanders’ NFL Draft haul. Rightfully so. That doesn’t mean each selection will slot into a prominent role as a rookie. We’ll discuss realistic expectations for each player over the next few days, leading into Commanders rookie minicamp. In this installment, we evaluate a productive, strong-armed quarterback from Rutgers:
Selection: Seventh round, No. 223 overall
Height/Weight: 6-foot-2, 216 pounds
Realistic expectations for: Sonny Styles | Antonio Williams | Joshua Josephs | Kaytron Allen | Matt Gulbin
What assistant GM Lance Newmark said: “He has a great energy and truly loves...
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In yesterday’s opening installment, I previewed the early front runners for Hogs Haven’s annual Mason/Brennan Preseason Hype! Award. These were the roster hopefuls with the most obvious potential to generate pre-season hype, as viewed at this point in time, after the first wave of UDFA signings, and a few weeks ahead of OTAs.
In some cases the player’s Hype Potential arises from the profile of the roster position they are vying for (e.g. K Drew Stevens, CB Car’lin Vigers, C Matt Gulbin). In others, it is a function of the player’s talent and fit to the direction the team is...
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Nick Cross is from the DMV. He was born in Bowie, Maryland. He attended DeMatha Catholic High and then went to the University of Maryland.
After four years with the Indianapolis Colts, Cross has come back home. That was assured this spring, with a two-year, $13 million contract in free agency. The Washington Commanders acquired an every-down safety with over 1,000 snaps in each of the past two years.
He’ll be a staple of new coordinator Daronte Jones’ system, a team leader Washington desperately needs during its ongoing get-younger-and-faster initiative. Cross talked about his homecoming during a Monday interview on...
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Bullock’s Film Room (subscription)
Allen leaves college as the all time leading rusher in Penn State history, ahead of some greats like Saquon Barkley. At 5-foot-11, 216 pounds, Allen is a short but stout running back that lacks great burst and long speed, but makes up for it with good power, contact balance and feel for the running back position.
So what are the Commanders getting in Allen? Well the team lost Chris Rodriguez in free agency, who provided a nice one-two punch with Jacory...
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Editor’s note: Everyone’s excited about the Commanders’ NFL Draft haul. Rightfully so. That doesn’t mean each selection will slot into a prominent role as a rookie. We’ll discuss realistic expectations for each player over the next few days, leading into Commanders rookie minicamp. In this installment, we evaluate a tough-as-nails interior lineman from Michigan State:
Selection: Sixth round, No. 209 overall
Height/Weight: 6-foot-4, 305 pounds
What assistant GM Lance Newmark said: “He played center this year for Michigan State after transferring from Wake Forest, where he had played guard. So, he has some utility...
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With the 2026 draft out of the way, and first wave of UDFA singings concluded, the 91-man offseason roster is coming into shape as we look to OTAs later this month.
By my estimate, there are currently seven starting positions and one specialist position to be decided, or at least up for challenge, in camp: CB2, WR2, WR3, Center, S, LG, RB, K. Most of those positions will be filled by returning starters, or established players already on the roster. It is likely that one or two well known players will also be brought in before camp to shore up...
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