Washington Commanders Rookie Minicamp Notebook: Sonny Styles looks the part, and others make strong first impression
The Washington Commanders hit the practice field for the first time with Rookie Minicamp underway, and there were plenty of takeaways already.
The Washington Commanders kicked off rookie minicamp, and we finally got to see the team's future in their new uniforms for the first time.
It’s only the first practice of their careers, but we still learned a lot this week from what head coach Dan Quinn said before practice and what we saw on the field.
I had Abdullah Konte on my YouTube channel to talk about everything he saw while watching press conferences and clips myself, and decided to put together a rookie minicamp notebook.
First up is head coach Dan Quinn’s press conference, then player takeaways from the practice itself.
Dan Quinn’s Press Conference:
This obviously isn’t some intense practice where Dan Quinn and the coaching staff are looking for players flying around, but more so, how the players carry themselves with their new teammates.
Quinn started his press conference by talking about WR Antonio Williams, and the first word he said was “fit”. That’s exactly what Williams is on this offense. Quinn said he will play multiple roles on offense with experience inside in the slot, and as the Z WR on the outside. Williams’ route-running ability continues to be the main talking point for Quinn.
Kaytron Allen was next up for Quinn, and he pointed out how notable his vision is to make the right cuts, make the smallest holes an open running lane, and how he has “demonstrated power”.
Quinn was asked about competitions, and he alluded to multiple positions having competitions over the next few months, specifically kicker and center, which was great to hear.
He was asked about Sonny Styles a lot, and the biggest takeaway for me was that Quinn said the two inside LB spots have similarities, but nuances as well, and they’re going to test him at both. The process will play out, and they’ll play him where he’s at his best, but there are no limits on what Styles can become.
One thing Quinn is really looking for during practice, especially with a guy like Styles, is communication. It didn’t take long for Styles to show why he was highly regarded.
Sonny Styles:
The one thing that stood out to Abdullah at practice was just how big Sonny Styles was without pads on, and seeing those combine numbers really flash on the field. His speed and acceleration stood out, and you could see it on the interception the team account shared on social media.
Abdullah also talked about how Styles has that Commander's aura, carries himself well, and fits the Commander's Tag of a high-character player. We both believe that the Commanders have their new Bobby Wagner from a leadership standpoint.
It was also very well known that the media could hear Styles relaying plays loudly on the field in the very first practice, and his vocal leadership was on full display. Sonny Styles looks like the real deal on and off the field already.
Antonio Williams:
Abdullah was also impressed by how crisp Antonio Williams’ route running was already, and it’s been a steady theme. Williams already has many NFL traits, and his ceiling will be massive in 2026. The Commanders don’t have a true WR on the roster that can separate as Williams can.
Getting separation and creating yards after the catch has been a struggle for the offense, and it’ll help Jayden Daniels out so much more than people realize. It also helps that Williams’ fit in the offensive scheme will help him flourish, and he’s going to see a ton of targets as a rookie. We will hear the Amon-Ra St. Brown comparisons all season long, and they honestly might be spot on with his role and traits.
Kaytron Allen:
Another player who stood out size-wise was RB Kaytron Allen. Abdullah said that Kaytron is very fluid for his size, and it’s going to surprise a lot of defenders.
Abdullah and I both think that Kaytron Allen fits David Blough’s scheme the most, and he could lead in touches as a rookie. We both love Bill Croskey-Merritt, but he can’t run inside zone plays or gap plays through contact and pass protect as Allen can. The RB room is loaded, and Rachaad White, Allen, and Croskey-Merritt have their own strengths to bring to the table.
I’m very high on Allen, and I really do think that Kaytron turns out to be the Commanders’ franchise RB. Abdullah also added that so many people talk about how the Commanders’ fan base will love Kaytron Allen, and he’ll turn into a fan favorite.
Joshua Josephs:
Abdullah talked about how Logan Paulson compared Joshua Josephs to Andrew Van Ginkel, and he saw that more in the first practice. One thing I talked about a lot leading up to the draft was that Daronte Jones LOVES to drop his EDGE/OLB players into coverage, and Josephs was one of those players in college.
We could see a similar role to Van Ginkel, but we absolutely expect him to rush the QB the most often. He had one rep where he flashed his speed and length off the EDGE, and caught Abdullah’s attention. Daronte Jones will have A LOT of tools to work with, and he can get creative with the LB room, and the OLB options to rush the QB, but also drop into coverage to confuse the offense.
Other Standouts and UDFAS:
Outside of the rookie class, we got to see some players from last year take part in practice as well, and a couple of them caught Abdullah’s eyes. The first one was WR Ja’Corey Brooks, who really had noticeable confidence at practice, but also made some nice catches.
EDGE T.J. Maguranyanga was the other standout, and he’ll have to compete in a deep EDGE room now.
From the UDFA class, RB Robert Henry Jr. and WR Chris Hilton Jr. both caught Abdullah’s attention, and he really thinks they both could show something in camp.
The last UDFA that had to be talked about was kicker Drew Stevens, who had a lot of energy and a strong presence with confidence. He showed his leg, and it looked like there was a noticeable difference in the leg strength. That’s a competition that will be talked about plenty over the next few months.