The opinions expressed in this article do not reflect those of the team.
The Washington Commanders wrapped up their first OTA practice of Phase 3, and while nothing seen at this time of year should be taken as an indication of how players or the team will perform in September, there were a few standouts on Wednesday. Here are three players that caught our eye.
Trey Amos
There's no telling at this point just how many snaps the second-round pick will get as a rookie or where he will land on depth chart, but Amos made the most of his snaps in seven-on-seven drills.
Amos, who the Commanders considered taking with their first-round pick, held his own against several of the team's veterans. In one of his more impressive plays, he managed to stay upright after his feet got tangled with Michael Gallup and got under a tipped pass for an interception on the second play of the drill. He nearly got a second one later in the day while working against Luke McCaffrey and kept up with Deebo Samuel when lined up against him.
Although general manager Adam Peters said Amos is an all-around cornerback, the Commanders primarily view him as a perimeter defender. As shown during his reps against Samuel, his large frame allows him to be physical at the line of scrimmage with bigger receivers. Amos still has months before he is ready to be a regular defensive contributor, but he's off to a good start.
Mike Sainristil
It probably isn't a surprise that Sainristil, who emerged as one of Washington's best defenders, had a strong practice, but the former Michigan corner kept making plays throughout the afternoon.
Sainristil's quickness, cover skills and knowledge of the defensive scheme were on display during seven-on-seven drills. He routinely put himself in position to make plays and had multiple batted-down passes on the day. One play, which featured Sainristil matched up against Jaylin Lane, saw him reach out at the last second and swat the ball to the ground for an incompletion.
Sainristil's position in this iteration of Washington's defense is unknown at this point. It is possible that he reverts to being a nickel corner, which is what he was drafted to do last season, but considering how solid he was on the outside, perhaps the coaches will keep him on the perimeter. Either way, he's certain to be a key piece to Washington's secondary in his second season.
Jayden Daniels
Daniels didn't have many eye-catching moments during Wednesday's practice. He was as comfortable and collected as ever, leading the offense during drills and dishing out the ball to his receivers with accuracy and poise.
Daniels, who appears slightly more muscular, has clearly been putting in the work to stay on top of his game this offseason, and that deserves some credit.
"I gotta go out there and prove myself each and every day, no matter if it was last season, this season, 10, 20 years down the road. You have to prove yourself each and every season," Daniels said.
By all accounts, Daniels has had an excellent offseason and earned some praise from his teammates and coaches for it. "He's...as focused and relentless as you could be about getting better," said head coach Dan Quinn. "And so that's why I said for us around here, we appreciate that." Offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury echoed that sentiment, saying Daniels is "very highly motivated to be as good as he can be."
Daniels set a high standard for himself after putting together a standout rookie campaign, and one good offseason practice does not mean he is destined to be even better in his second season. Still, it's evident that he is putting in the work to elevate his team to even greater heights in 2025.
