Commanders vs. Dolphins joint practice: 5 things to watch

[ASFN Admin]

The Washington Commanders will host their first-ever joint practice from the team's Ashburn facilities on Wednesday when the Miami Dolphins come to town. It's the first of two joint practices for Washington. The Commanders will head to Baltimore in two weeks for a joint practice with the Ravens.

The joint practices are often more valuable than the preseason games because the starters receive plenty of work against the other team's starters. It also gives teams a chance to compete against a different team, rather than hitting each other for weeks.

Since the Commanders host the Dolphins in the preseason opener on Friday, Wednesday's practice will likely give fans a better chance to see Washington's starters. Head coach Dan Quinn and his coaching staff will likely be looking for a few specific things.

Here are five things to watch in Wednesday's joint practice.

Jayden Daniels vs. Dolphins defense​

Daniels has been outstanding over the first couple of weeks of practice. You wouldn't know he's playing in a new offense. He looks completely comfortable within the scheme and playing from under center. However, Wednesday will give offensive coordinator David Blough a chance to see Daniels in something more resembling a game. This is a big test for Daniels. After a slow start against Washington's improved defense in camp, Daniels has been extremely sharp over the last several practices. Which receiver will he look to the most? Will the pass protection hold up?

Center position​

Nick Allegretti, the projected starting center, will not practice on Wednesday or play in the preseason opener. Things are trending up for him, though. This week presents a major opportunity for backup centers Julian Good-Jones and rookie Matt Gulbin. How will they handle the snap exchange under center? The duo has a combined two NFL snaps to their name. Good-Jones has been around a few years, but hasn't played much. He's had his moments in camp, but has looked better since the pads came on. Good-Jones and Gulbin must show Washington that it doesn't need to look outside the organization for a backup center to Allegretti.

WR separation​

We know Terry McLaurin and Stefon Diggs can create separation. But this is a big test for others, such as Luke McCaffrey, Jaylin Lane, Treylon Burks and rookie Antonio Williams. The battle for the No. 3 WR job is still wide open. These practices are a perfect time to show who can beat NFL coverage. All of Washington's receivers have taken turns looking impressive in camp. Wednesday is their biggest stage yet.

Commanders pass rush​

We've seen Odafe Oweh, K'Lavon Chaisson and Joshua Josephs all take turns looking dominant at times in training camp. Now, they'll face another team. It's doubtful we'll see blitzing, but it's worth watching how often Oweh and Chaisson can get to Malik Willis and Miami's other quarterbacks. The defense as a whole has been excellent at times during training camp. Facing a different team should give everyone a better idea of what the pass rush could look like in 2026.

Commanders corners vs. Dolphins WRs​

Miami has a lot of question marks at wide receiver after moving on from Jaylen Waddle and Tyreek Hill. There is a good mix of veterans and young players. This will be a good test for Washington's corners. If the Commanders struggle against Miami's receivers, that could be a cause for concern. There were already questions at corner ahead of the season. You could make the case that Rasul Douglas has been the Commanders' best cornerback this summer. He signed in July. Douglas played for the Dolphins last season, starting 13 games.

This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Commanders vs. Dolphins joint practice: 5 things to watch

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