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Three standouts from Week 1 of Commanders training camp

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Week 1 of the Washington Commanders' training camp is officially done. The players are taking a break on Saturday before getting back to work on Sunday, when fans will attend practice for the first time.

Ninety players took their first steps towards competing for jobs this week, and while the evaluation process is far from done, there are a few who helped strengthen their case.

So, let's look at three players who stood out on the first three days of camp.

Jayden Daniels

Is it a cop-out to name the No. 2 overall pick as the first standout on the list? Maybe, but Daniels has objectively been one of the best players on the field through the first three practices.

Daniels has not been named the starter yet. That decision will have to wait for a bit, and in the meantime, the quarterback is being intentional about every step of his development. He's mostly succeeded at every assignment given to him by the coaches, whether it's commanding the huddle, getting the ball out on time or delivering passes to spots where only the intended target can make the catch.

"I thought he had a really strong day," Quinn said of Daniels' Day 1 performance. "A lot of completions, good throws. When you get into the red zone, there's kind of two things that can happen. There's a first play and then a second play that can take place. And so, seeing the guys get outside the pocket and move a little bit, I thought that was good."

Daniels is certainly dynamic as a runner -- that part of his skill set has been sprinkled into the script each day -- but his ball placement has been where he's looked the most impressive. On Day 1, he delivered a pass to Brian Robinson in the corner of the end zone during red zone drills. The next day, he had an even better touchdown pass to Mitchell Tinsley, who had to fight off a defender for the score.

Daniels has a long way to go before being named the starting quarterback. There's still a lot to be excited about, though.

Jordan Magee

It can be difficult for Day 3 draft picks to make the roster, let alone carve out a role in their first season. It looks like Magee is on his way to accomplishing both, and it's catching his teammates' attention.

"He's picking it up real quick," said fellow linebacker Frankie Luvu. "He's coming on a long way, real quick for a rookie taking everything as early as it is in camp."

Most teams don't spend much time in their base defenses, but with Jamin Davis spending most of his time as a pass-rusher, Magee has been lined up with Bobby Wagner and Luvu when the unit has three linebackers on the field.

Magee, who earned a single-digit jersey number at Temple for his leadership and production, was a highly productive player for the Owls, ranking eighth with 80 tackles in the AAC last season. He was also third in the conference in tackles for loss.

He's also doing whatever he can to learn as much as possible from his veteran teammates.

"He's just been a sponge and trying to pick our minds, me, Bobby [Wagner], and the rest of the defense," Luvu said. "So, looking forward to the work with him the rest of the camp."

Getting starting reps in practice doesn't make him a starter yet. However, he is someone to keep an eye on when the team starts fully-padded practices. If he continues gradual progress he's made this week, then he could end up being a more important part of the defense going forward.

The Commanders were back on the field on Thursday for the second day of training camp. Check out the top photos from this morning.

Austin Ekeler

Ekeler wasn't as productive as he wanted to be in 2023, partly because of a high ankle sprain. After three days of action, he's clearly made a full recovery.

Ekeler promised that he would be placed all over the field when he was first signed to the team in March. That prediction has been accurate, as he's lined up as a pass-catcher and been a receiver out of the backfield.

Ekeler has split reps with Robinson as the primary running back, showing that he still has plenty of shiftiness to his skill set. He started Day 2 by sprinting up the middle of the defense and made two players miss before cutting upfield. The next day, he scampered through a hole in the defensive front and had a clear path to the end zone.

The Commanders needed more out of their running backs in 2023, as they ranked last in run rate and had the most unbalanced run-pass ratio in the NFL. If Ekeler is able to show some of his old self on Sundays, it will go a long way towards solving that problem and provide more of a security blanket for Daniels as he navigates his rookie season.

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