Commanders' offensive line receiving no respect for 2026

[ASFN Admin]

There are plenty of questions about the Washington Commanders for 2026. Can quarterback Jayden Daniels rebound after last season's disappointing second season due to injuries? Will new offensive coordinator David Blough struggle? Do the Commanders have enough offensive weapons outside of Terry McLaurin? What about the defense?

Did you notice there was one group we didn't question? That's right, Washington's offensive line doesn't appear to be an issue ahead of the new season. That group has a new coach, too, as former assistant offensive line coach Darnell Stapleton was promoted to replace Bobby Johnson. Stapleton is a proponent of a zone-based scheme, which Blough plans to employ. Under Johnson, the Commanders ran more of a gap-based scheme.

The good news for Stapleton is his personnel. Left tackle Laremy Tunsil signed a two-year extension this offseason, making him the NFL's highest-paid offensive lineman for the third time in his career. Josh Conerly Jr. enters his second season. While his career got off to a rough start, he looked like a different player in the second half. He's also reshaped his body this offseason, working with Tunsil. Right guard Sam Cosmi returns. Cosmi is a borderline Pro Bowler. Also back is left guard Chris Paul. Brandon Coleman returns and will compete with Paul at left guard. Coleman has been extremely valuable over his first two seasons, showing versatility by playing guard and tackle.

One name is missing from last season: center Tyler Biadasz. The Commanders surprisingly released Biadasz ahead of free agency. Veteran Nick Allegretti is back for his third season in the burgundy and gold and will likely start at center. Veteran Andrew Wylie also returns. Wylie has plenty of starting experience at tackle and guard.

With this many returning starters and key contributors, you'd think Washington's offensive line would be more highly regarded across the NFL. That's not the case, as several outlets rank the Commanders as having the 22nd-ranked offensive line or worse.

Offensive Line preseason composite ranks, featuring former Browns Scout @sdiben90NFLpic.twitter.com/uU19wzFvXz

— Football Insights (@fball_insights) July 7, 2026

Why so low?

Scott DiBenedetto of Fantasy Points is a former scout for the Cleveland Browns. He recently shared his 2026 offensive line rankings for Fantasy Points, and he has the Commanders ranked No. 23.

Talk about a flop. I had the Commanders' OL pushing the top 10 heading into last year, after an impressive 2024 campaign. But Jayden Daniels’ injury magnified an entire team regression, and the unit finished with a large split between run and pass performance. There are multiple moving parts up front, but the silver lining is that everyone was on the team last year.

Laremy Tunsil continues to be a force on the edge and must be the anchor of this unit in 2026. Josh Conerly was serviceable as a rookie, but there’s a lot of work to be done in both phases. The interior is where the movement is, as Nick Allegretti replaces Tyler Biadasz at center, and Sam Cosmi returns after an injury-riddled 2025. Cosmi was good in the games he played, but will he return to form?

Chris Paul is also back at LG, but he had arguably the biggest split between pass pro and run blocking. It’s frankly surprising the Commanders averaged the fifth-best YPC (4.73) despite having one of the worst run-blocking left guards.

It’s not a secret that 2026 is important for many within the Commanders’ organization. I think this unit and the offense as a whole bounce back, but it will be a battle for Washington to make the playoffs.

This is an excellent explanation from DiBenedetto. He acknowledges a higher ranking before last season (11th), but the unit did not play up to that ranking. He's correct. Is it possible that Daniels made them look better than the analytics revealed in 2024? Yes, that's very possible. The Commanders had two new tackles last season, including Tunsil, who was phenomenal in his first season for Washington.

Paul took over for Coleman at left guard in Week 3 last season. He remained there all season. Coleman would fill in at left tackle for Tunsil late in the season. A free agent this offseason, Paul re-signed with the Commanders on a modest one-year deal. He'll compete with Coleman. It's worth noting that DiBenedetto revealed Paul was a much better pass blocker than run blocker. That could open the door for Coleman.

As DiBenedetto says here, we expect Washington's offensive line to bounce back in 2026. Biadasz's play took a step back in 2025 after a strong debut the year before. The Commanders need Allegretti to play at that level, or a notch above. If he does, Washington's offensive line can make a big jump again in 2026.

This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Commanders' offensive line receiving no respect for 2026

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