The opinions expressed in this article do not reflect those of the team.
The Washington Commanders are done with the offseason workout program, but there were a few players to stood out to analyst Logan Paulsen. Here are some of his top players who got him excited for training camp in July.
Jacory Croskey-Merritt
Outstanding rookie season, man. Brought all the juice; all the wiggle; everything you wanna see. But there was a limited opportunity. What does that look like when the shoulder pads come on and we're all sweaty at camp? That's when you can truly start evaluating runners. He didn't do a lot in OTAs and was dealing with some type of injury. But he's a guy that I think is poised for a big season with the explosiveness, the twitch. I can't wait to see what that looks like for him.
Antonio Williams
For him, there's a lot of opportunity and a lot of upside. Everybody talks about the route running nuance. You see it at Clemson. You can watch it in 2024 in the Georgia game, and you see a little touch of it at OTAs. But I wanna see what it looks like when the big boy pads come on and it's time to start building this thing. How are they gonna use him? Is he gonna play in the slot? Is he gonna play in the perimeter. And again, does that route running nuance hold up? I can't wait to check it out, because again, if he runs routes like he did in college, this could be a problem for NFL defenses.
Nick Cross
He is built like an action figure, but it's not the look that gets me excited. It's the physical, downhill play that he brings to this thing. He can play in the box. He can play in the post. He can blitz. He can affect the quarterback. He runs a 4.3. You see him work as a pass rusher there. I think the flexibility he brings to this defense is gonna unlock everybody. So, I wanna see that, live and in living color. Can he be the leader of this defense in the back end? That's why he's No. 3 for me.
Josh Conerly Jr.
We saw him with a kind of tumultuous start to last season, but the thing I love about it is that every single week, he got a little bit better. Now, you look at some of these offensive metrics, and he was one of the better performing offensive linemen in the second half of the year. I see him talking to Laremy Tunsil. I see him working with the O-line coach extra. The athletic, the length, those are all things that you can't teach, and he's got that student mentality. I can't wait for what this is gonna be, because if he can let this thing go and he can protect Jayden Daniels and we can run the football behind him, that's three excellent pieces on the offensive line -- him, Laremy Tunsil and Cosmi. That could be something special.
Odafe Oweh
When I look at this Daronte Jones defense, what drives it? It's pressure. We gotta get after the quarterback. He had 11 sacks last season in an abridged time, post trade from Baltimore, and he looks like a superhero ... That helps up the secondary. So, he's making a lot of money. He's gonna have a huge role in this thing, and again, if he can affect the quarterback, this defense will be rolling.
