The Washington Commanders were back on the field for Day 2 of training camp, and the defense had an exceptional showing throughout the morning. Let's dive into some of the standout moments.

-- It's becoming clearer by the day that this year's defense is much faster than the one that was on the field last season. The Commanders started the day with another competition -- a first-and-goal drill -- and the defense was the clear victor in the five-minute series. Things started off well with a touchdown from the offense, but a play was later ruled dead as Jayden Daniels scrambled to avoid pressure. Daniels was "sacked" on the following play (the pocket collapsed around Daniels, which forced the coaches to blow their whistles), and his end zone shot to Jaylin Lane fell incomplete.

-- Although there is still plenty of work to be done, it appears that the secondary and pass rush are working well together to create difficult scenarios for the quarterbacks. It's worth pointing out that most of the snaps taken in team drills have been in the red zone, where it's more difficult for receivers to find open space downfield, but all the quarterbacks have needed more time than normal to find targets and are working through their progressions thanks to the coverage from the secondary. At the same time, the Commanders' pass rush is putting pressure on them, which has led to some off-target throws. That should please defensive coordinator Daronte Jones, who wants to emphasize creating turnovers after the unit generated just 10 takeaways in 2025.

-- On that note, the linebackers were spotted practicing punching the ball loose at the line of scrimmage during individual drills. That's not to say the Commanders weren't emphasizing it last year, but it is nice to see the defense getting more reps at providing more opportunities for the offense in games.

-- Tight end Chig Okonkwo was more active today and caught a pair of passes from Daniels on back-to-back plays. The team believes Okonkwo has the potential to be a top-tier receiving tight end in the league, and his teammates can see the talent. Terry McLaurin praised Okonkwo's route running ability after practice and even said that Okonkwo could line up on the outside. McLaurin believes his footwork and size make him a "matchup nightmare" for defenses, and he's eager to see Okonkwo get more opportunities during the season.

-- Rachaad White's vision as a runner flashed at times in Thursday's practice. He had a cutback during team drills that led to a big gain downfield. White is expected to be part of the committee approach to the running back room, and while people are mostly excited about his abilities as a pass-catcher, he's shown that he can be just as impactful as a runner.

-- The offense's best series of the day came near the end of practice. Daniels completed four of his five passes, including the two throws to Okonkwo, and got the offense to the 1-yard line. Daniels wrapped up the drive with a touchdown throw to Luke McCaffrey, who managed to keep both feet in bounds in the back of the end zone.

-- The Commanders finished practice with a two-minute drill where the offense was down by six points with 37 seconds on the clock. The third group was up first, led by Athan Kaliakmanis, and it took until the unit was facing a fourth down for Kaliakmanis to find a spark. He lofted a ball to the end zone, where Colson Yankoff was running downfield. There was good coverage on the play, but Yankoff managed to complete the pass for a touchdown. Kaliakmanis and Sam Hartman have been competing for the third quarterback spot on the roster, and both have had their moments over the last two days. That competition will continue throughout camp, but it was a positive end to the day for the seventh-round pick.

-- We had our first two interceptions of camp today. The first came from Malik Spencer, who grabbed the pick on a pass from Kaliakmanis. The second interception came on the final play to cap off the day. Rasul Douglas, who only officially joined Washington earlier this week, intercepted Marcus Mariota during two-minute drills and took the ball all the way back to the other end zone. The Commanders have made it clear that they want to increase their takeaway number from last season, and it was an emphasis during Thursday's practice. They were even chirping at the offensive players to hold onto the ball after plays. We'll see if they can maintain that energy throughout practice, but it's a positive sign that they're determined to change things.

-- Here are a couple of injury updates for Nick Allegretti, who left practice early yesterday, and wide receiver Treylon Burks. Allegretti strained his calf, according to head coach Dan Quinn, which was why he was absent from practice. Burks, who had a solid first day, is dealing with foot soreness and was held out of action. The team is not concerned with either injury, according to Quinn, so both players should be back on the field soon.

-- The competition at kicker is in full swing and is one of the more closely watched battles on the roster by both fans and media members. Thursday's practice was the first time the media got to see Jake Moody and Drew Stephens kick, and both players drilled all six of their field goals. If that's any indication of how things will go, then expect the competition to come down to the final day before roster cuts.