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The Washington Commanders have wrapped up their first week of training camp, and there were several players who had standout performances. Here are four who had exceptional weeks.
CB Mike Sainristil
The 2024 second-round pick is off to another strong start in camp and has made several plays in the first few days of camp. His best day was on Friday, as he grabbed an interception off a tipped pass from Jayden Daniels and ran it back for a touchdown. He also tackled KJ Osborn in the backfield on a play during team drills.
Sainristil emerged as one of the team's best defenders in 2024 thanks to his instincts, work ethic and knowledge of the system. He plays bigger than his 5-foot-10, 182-pound frame, which helped him hold his own against receivers like A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith. Despite playing as a perimeter cornerback -- he was supposed to be a nickel player -- he recorded 93 tackles and led the team with two interceptions.
Based on how he performed this week, Sainristil is on track for an even better season in Year Two.
WR Ja'Corey Brooks
Brooks is a long way from earning a spot on the 53-man roster, but he certainly helped his cause during the first two days of camp.
Brooks' biggest advantage is his college touchdown rate, as he scored once every nine touches with Alabama and Louisville. He caught three touchdown passes on Wednesday and Thursday with those throws coming from Jayden Daniels and Marcus Mariota. He is also putting in extra work after practice, as he spent time with Mariota and Josh Johnson on Thursday to work on his routes.
Brooks isn't getting too excited about his start to camp, which is smart, because there are several more tests for him to take on. He'll have to maintain his production in the preseason as well as joint practices with the New England Patriots and Baltimore Ravens. Still, he should have his coaches' attention after what he did earlier in the week.
The Washington Commanders were back on the field for Day Two of training camp. Check out all the best photos from the morning.
CB Trey Amos
The Commanders are looking for a starting cornerback to pair with Marshon Lattimore, and it seems like the staff is allowing Amos to earn the job for himself.
Amos, the team's second-round pick in this year's draft, has spent most of his time with the starting defense and locked down several of the team's receivers. He had an impressive pass breakup against Luke McCaffrey at the goal line on Thursday and grabbed an interception off Daniels, although the play was ruled dead because of a flag on the defense.
The Commanders had a first-round grade on Amos in the draft process, and it is easy to see why. He's good in man coverage, knows how to use contact on wideouts without getting penalized and seems to already have a good grasp of the defense. There's still a long way to go before the season opener, but as long as Amos keeps this up, it's his job to lose.
WR Deebo Samuel
Samuel had the first explosive play of camp on Wednesday. He got a step on Tyler Owens down the sideline and caught an over-the-shoulder pass from Daniels for a touchdown. That basically set the tone for the rest of the week for Washington's new wideout.
Samuel has dedicated much of his time to building chemistry with Daniels and learning Washington's offense. He's made progress in both areas, and without giving too much away (the team prevents people from getting too specific with how players are used), the Commanders have taken advantage of Samuel's versatility.
Samuel is determined to prove that he can still be an integral part of an offense, and so far, he has shown exactly that in the first week. It will be fun to see how he grows as he gets more comfortable in the scheme.
