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It’s no shock that the Washington Commanders find themselves in trouble at the center position. And that’s just one more burden for Jayden Daniels to carry. But the roster still needs finishing touches, and here is the Commanders’ 53-man prediction for the 2026 NFL season. As with any NFL team, the Commanders face some tough calls. Notably, they have hard decisions at receiver, running back, and in the secondary. Quarterbacks (3) Jayden Daniels, Marcus Mariota, Athan Kaliakmanis In-game evidence is the trump card, and that’s why Kaliakmanis gets the nod over Sam Hartman. He connected on 11 of 14 passes for 162 yards against the Lions. And that performance secured his spot. He showed something important, according to commanders.com. “But what stood out the most about Kaliakmanis was his ability to stretch the field with his arm, which was not necessarily a highlighted part of his skill set in the draft process,” Zach Selby wrote. Still, Quinn has left the door open for Hartman, according to heavy.com. “Another game coming up, it’s so important for them, honestly, in the game, for those guys,” Commanders head coach Dan Quinn said. “Managing the clock, working it all, being in tough scenarios, feeling the rush that they don’t do that in practice.” Running backs (4) Jacory Croskey-Merritt, Rachaad White, Kaytron Allen, Robert Henry Jr. McNichols’ injury and age complicate things. And that’s why Henry still has an opportunity despite struggling against the Lions. His natural talent is easy to see, according to commanders.com. “He plays with that speed,” Fred Smoot said. “I know a lot of guys who run 4.3, but they don’t play with it on the field. It doesn’t translate. His translates. When he wants to get outside, you can't stop him from getting outside.” Wide receiver (7) Terry McLaurin, Stefon Diggs, Antonio Williams, Luke McCaffrey, Jaylin Lane, Treylon Burks, Jaden Bradley There’s no doubt about the first five. They’re all solid. And they will be good to go. The question comes with whether the Commanders keep six or seven at this position. If it’s six, it gets really tough. Some will argue this position. They will want Dyami Brown to make the cut. But Burks’ athleticism will be tough to cut. And Bradley has been turning heads throughout camp, according to heavy.com. “He has, in terms of like a competitive nature, and that was from the beginning,” Quinn said. “He wanted to return kicks, he wanted to be back for punt, knowing that there was going to be a spot for special teams. So, I like the way he’s competing.” Tight ends (4) Chig Okonkwo, John Bates, Ben Sinnott, Colson Yankoff It is clear cut. These four should stick. Offensive line (8) Brandon Coleman, Chris Paul, Nick Allegretti, Sam Cosmi, Josh Conerly Jr., Andrew Wylie, Matt Gulbin, Trent Scott As for the center position, the Commanders have a problem. They will likely try to scoop up the best-available guy when other teams make their cuts. That puts Daniel Brunskill likely out the door before Week 1. Gulbin probably holds on to a spot. Regardless, the Commanders are in a pinch at center, according to Sports Illustrated. “So, we got work to do to figure out where we want to get to at center,” Quinn said. “But with a lot of people in there, it wasn't like a one-line, two-line.” Defensive line (6) Daron Payne, Javon Kinlaw, Tim Settle, Charles Omenihu, Shy Tuttle, Ricky Barber It’s a really tight call between Ricky Barber and Maurice Hurst. Some people only have six linemen on the 53-man, but Hurst getting two sacks, two tackles, and two QB hits against the Lions states a case. We’ll go with Barber, but it’s a razor-thin 51-49 call. Linebackers (8) Odafe Oweh, K’Lavon Chaisson, Joshua Josephs, Javontae Jean-Baptiste, Frankie Luvu, Sonny Styles, Leo Chenal, Kain Medrano Dorance Armstrong’s Week 1 suspension allows for Medrano to stick for a week. But the Commanders might need to get creative and keep the athletic Medrano throughout the season. Cornerback (5) Trey Amos, Mike Sainristil, Amik Robertson, Rasul Douglas, Antonio Hamilton Sr. It’s hard to see a clear decision right now between Hamilton and Fabian Moreau. The lean is toward Hamilton, but this is a true final-days-of-camp decision. Safety (5) Nick Cross, Quan Martin, Jeremy Reaves, Tyler Owens, Malik Spencer Owens has made himself valuable, displaying a versatility that could be the key ingredient to making the roster. Special teams (3) Drew Stevens, Tress Way, Tyler Ott It’s actually refreshing that Commanders seem to have found a kicker. Stevens can hit from distance. If he’s solid on the shorter kicks, the Commanders may have a long-term solution. That's why they gave veteran kicker Jake Moody the boot earlier this summer. Stevens has shown a lot, according to commanders.com. “I thought Drew established himself,” Quinn said. “Thought he's [been] kicking it pure and clean … I thought [he] earned it. And so, we're moving forward.”