Training camp has been very guarded through the first few practices. Media has been told not to film certain parts of practice or talk about certain alignments/plays. Just trying to figure out which inside linebacker spot Sonny Styles is playing, and who is running with the secondary’s first unit is hard.
Since camp practices opened July 29, I have been taking as many notes as I can and have spoken to some people who have been in attendance to get their perspective.
I have asked some situational questions, but the main thing I have been trying to glean before the pads come on Monday is this — who is standing out early on and for what reasons?
Below are the players I’ve heard the most about through three practices.
This is the guy everyone wants to hear about. Is the third-year quarterback under center more often? How many designed bootlegs is offensive coordinator David Blough running him on? Are his reads quick, accurate and decisive?
Day 1 was a mixed bag, with the defense being significantly ahead of the offense (which is to be expected early on). From most reports, Jayden started off erratically but got better as the practice went on.
Day 2 got better, with some really accurate passes in 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 red-zone work. The tempo of the offense was said to be a lot better and ball placement was excellent.
Day 3, the first practice open to the fans, was easily his best day. David Harrison guesstimated he had around a 75% completion rate during team periods (with a few drops scattered in there as well).
The big-bodied vet missed the second day of practice with a sore foot (precaution), but I’m hearing he’s been looking the part running with the first unit. Jayden mentioned him as a player who has stood out early on during camp, and we all saw the nice catch in the end zone he had over Amik Robertson with both feet in. He was the receiver who was mentioned as making the most plays during the first practice.
Luke McCaffrey’s name keeps being brought up from those who have attended practices. On Saturday, he was said to be the most targeted of the wider receivers during 7-on-7 and 11-on-11.
Guys have been saying Antonio Williams continues to show the ability to win quickly off the jump. Commanders reporters mentioned him as a standout candidate during the 2-point conversion team period on the first day.
He has also been getting some run with the first team and has been seen catching punts.
When you get high praise from Terry McLaurin, you are doing something right.
A surprise, but not a surprise, Ben Sinnott has been showing out through the first three days of camp. The big-bodied, versatile tight end has been stacking good days and has caught the eye of many early on.
In Saturday’s practice, he had an acrobatic catch on the sidelines during 2-minute drills that drew some applause from the crowd. That catch easily made up for an early drop.
Sinnott also threw a bit of shade at Kliff Kingsbury (although probably not intentionally) for how he has been used in this new offense versus his previous two season in Washington.
On Day 2, Colston Yankoff had the catch of the day, going up between defenders to high-point a pass for a score. Reports had him just behind McCaffrey on Saturday with the most catches during team periods.
Odafe Oweh and K’Lavon Chaisson
Multiple people have commented on Odafe Oweh and K’Lavon Chaisson wreaking havoc throughout the first three days of practice. Both have explosive first steps and supposedly they are giving Washington offensive tackles all they can handle. Mind you, there are no pads on yet, and this will usually favor defensive linemen when working against the offensive front five, but if the explosiveness is any indication of what we’ll see once pads come on, we all may be in for a treat this season!
The rookie has certainly looked the part early on in camp, flying all over and being in position to make plays. He has just missed a few interceptions early on, and people keep saying he has looked fast and decisive in this new defense. It sounds like he’s getting work at both MIKE and WILL and is someone who is in consideration for the green dot. Monday should tell us more when the pads are on for the first time this summer.
The do-it-all safety for coordinator Daronte Jones has been as advertised early on. Folks have said Cross is flying all over the field and, if hitting was allowed, would have disrupted a bunch of plays. In Saturday’s practice, he gave running back Bill Croskey-Merritt a little love-tap after he caught a pass out of the backfield. Had that been live action, a MASSIVE collision would have occurred.
Newcomer Rasul Douglas has looked very good early on through three practices. The veteran cornerback had a pick-six off Marcus Mariota to end Thursday’s session and showed extremely well during Saturday’s session while working with the second group. Reporters have commented just how big he is in person.
- It appears Drew Stevens has been the first to kick during team periods. Does this mean he’s working with the first team? It may be too early to definitively say that, but it’s something worth monitoring. To date after three practices, incumbent Jake Moody has not missed a kick (at least not during team periods that has been reported), while Stevens has missed just two.
- Jaylin Lane, Antonio Williams and Luke McCaffrey have all been back fielding punts.
