Who is Commanders' most important second-year player for 2026?

The Washington Commanders have plenty of reasons to be optimistic about the 2026 season and beyond. Quarterback Jayden Daniels is healthy and appears comfortable in new offensive coordinator David Blough‘s offense. Wide receiver Terry McLaurin is healthy and motivated to put last season behind him.

Defensively, GM Adam Peters completely revamped a struggling defense, adding playmakers at all three levels, focusing on youth and speed. Another reason Washington should be optimistic is its offensive line, specifically tackles Laremy Tunsil and Josh Conerly Jr.

Tunsil is outstanding, which is why he’s once again the NFL’s highest-paid offensive lineman. However, keep your eyes on Conerly. Last season’s first-round pick got off to a tough start, but by the end of the season, he looked like a completely different player. That’s exactly the type of in-season growth teams love to see from young players.

When the Commanders acquired Tunsil from the Texans, there were reports suggesting he wasn’t a great leader. He proved that to be false last season, quickly showing he was as great off the field as he was on it. He took a keen interest in Conerly’s development.

That’s continued throughout this offseason.

Conerly’s development is essential for Washington, since he teams with Tunsil to protect Daniels. So it’s no surprise that one analyst called Conerly the Commanders’ most important second-year player in 2026.

Brad Gagnon of Bleacher Report recently named the most important second-year player for all 32 NFL teams. Here’s why he called Conerly Washington’s most important second-year player.

Second-round corner Trey Amos would also be an acceptable answer considering the Commanders need more across the board on defense and Amos struggled before suffering a significant leg injury as a rookie but will play a big role in 2026.

Instead, the focus has to be on Conerly, who simply has to continue on a positive trajectory after a miserable start to his career. This offense can’t get back on track without a sophomore bump from the No. 29 overall pick at right tackle.

Second-round corner Trey Amos would also be an acceptable answer considering the Commanders need more across the board on defense and Amos struggled before suffering a significant leg injury as a rookie but will play a big role in 2026.

Instead, the focus has to be on Conerly, who simply has to continue on a positive trajectory after a miserable start to his career. This offense can’t get back on track without a sophomore bump from the No. 29 overall pick at right tackle.

Conerly is an accurate answer. However, I’d lean more toward Trey Amos here. Washington is thin at cornerback, and many considered Amos a first-round talent in 2025. He played well in the first half of the season before breaking his leg in Week 10.

If both players develop as Washington hopes and believes they will, that’s great news for the future, as both play premium positions.

This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Washington Commanders: Who is most important second-year player?