Regardless of how well the Washington Commanders perform this year, their starting lineup likely will have a different look to it than last season. With Carson Wentz taking over as their starting QB, players like Antonio Gibson and Curtis Samuel could be incredibly volatile this season.
Both Gibson and Samuel look to be on the hot seat this offseason for their starting jobs – so which players could overtake both veterans this year for their starting roles?
Commanders backups who can steal a first-string job in 2022
Jahan Dotson
As the 16th overall selection in the 2022 NFL Draft, Jahan Dotson was drafted to help Terry McLaurin in the passing game. But this Penn State wide receiver not only has an exciting future but his plans of helping out in his first season should be realized too.
The veteran standing in Dotson’s way is Curtis Samuel, who only played in five games last season in his first year with the Commanders. After having signed an expensive three-year deal, Samuel was expected to be a versatile offensive weapon used both in the passing game and in the backfield but has yet to realize that potential.
Samuel’s four years spent with the Carolina Panthers were quite successful, and he was utilized in many different ways alongside Christian McCaffrey and DJ Moore. When he signed in Washington, the hope was that he would be able to bring that explosiveness to the nation’s capital, but injuries have derailed that hope so far.
For Dotson, he has been putting impressive highlights on tape so far this offseason, showing that he is ready to be thrown into the fire right out of the gate. Dotson was a premiere collegiate receiver for the Nittany Lions, and his strong hands and athleticism translate well to the NFL for the Commanders.
While Carson Wentz certainly is no premiere QB option, Dotson has already been able to establish a rapport with his QB, making him a good option at sliding into that WR2 spot and overtaking Samuel for it. Samuel will definitely have an important role in this offense, provided he is able to get healthy again, but Dotson’s ceiling is just that impressive that he deserves to be featured right away opposite of McLaurin.
Brian Robinson / J.D. McKissic
The hype train for Antonio Gibson has not only fallen off the tracks, but it has tumbled down a very tall cliff. What once was a superb option to lead this backfield for a few years has turned into a young player suiting up on special teams, a year after holding the starting role.
Gibson certainly will still have a role on the offense, provided he can improve his ball security, but the two other in-house options, third-down specialist J.D. McKissic and rookie Brian Robinson will challenge him for the top spot on the depth chart.
McKissic is the veteran presence that was all but a Buffalo Bill this offseason until he made a last-second change and decided to re-sign with the Commanders in the same role he previously held. His role with the Commanders looks to mostly be for passing downs, which mostly are third downs, but could earn more carries in Gibson’s absence.
The real wild card here is Robinson, who has earned an important amount of goal-line work this preseason. While investing in a player’s stock based only on their preseason performance is not always accurate, Robinson looks to be earning more and more of the trust of the coaching staff as camp progresses.
As it looks now, Robinson has the best chance of overtaking Gibson’s role on more of a full-time basis as the starting RB, whether that is the right call or not. McKissic may take on a bit of Gibson’s work in the rushing category, but his true roll of being the pass-catching specialist keeps his role quite focused and guaranteed.
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