The Washington Commanders will travel to Miami for their second major test of the preseason, starting with a joint practice against the Dolphins and culminating with a Saturday night game with a 7 p.m. kickoff.
While Dan Quinn and the coaching staff still have some decisions to make before putting out an initial 53-man roster, there are some players who have stood out and secured a firmer hold on a spot for themselves. Other position groups, however, still have more to prove.
Here are three positions to watch during the joint practice with the Dolphins.
1. The defensive backs.
Although we have a better idea of which defensive backs on the Commanders' roster have stood out among the rest, like Benjamin St-Juste, Michael Davis and Noah Igbinoghene, it's still anyone's guess as to how the team intends to use them or how they stack up against opposing receiving corps in the NFL.
They saw their first real test against the Jets and had mixed results against Garrett Wilson and the rest of New York's wideouts. They'll face an even more difficult one with Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle waiting for them in Miami.
In a way, it will be an opportunity for the Commanders' defensive backs to show how much they've grown in the last year since last playing the Dolphins in December. Hill had an outstanding afternoon at Commanders Field, catching five passes for 157 yards and two scores of 78 and 60 yards.
Hill and Waddle will have their moments, but it would be seen as progress for the Commanders if they were to limit the explosive plays, both in practice and in the preseason game. Keep an eye on Emmanuel Forbes Jr., who did give up a touchdown against the Jets but also had solid moments in other parts of the game.
Another player to watch out for is rookie Mike Sainristil. He received the third-highest cover grade from PFF by a Washington defensive back, allowing just one yard on one target.
2. The offensive line.
Washington's offensive line will enter the weekend a little banged up but on the mend from what it was against the Jets, when they had to put in Chris Paul -- a guard -- at tackle with the starting offense to make up for Andrew Wylie, Cornelius Lucas and Brandon Coleman all not dressing.
Still, we should expect to see more of Washington's depth in practice and the preseason game, particularly at tackle with Coleman's status unknown. Although the Jets played almost none of their defensive starters in last week's game, it's worth pointing out that Washington's offensive front did protect all four quarterbacks, allowing zero sacks and just three quarterback hits. More importantly, Jadyen Daniels was kept clean during his 11 snaps.
As good as the Jets were last season at rushing quarterbacks, the Dolphins were even better. They were 10th in pass-rush win-rate and third in total sacks. Bradley Chubb and Zach Sieler combined for 21 of the team's 56 sacks, and the duo also led the team in tackles for loss with 22 combined stops.
Though there's nothing official yet, we have a good idea as to which offensive linemen will make up the starting lineup. For the rest of the position, all other spots are up for grabs. So, while it isn't ideal that Washington will play the Dolphins at full strength, it does give the depth more chances to step up. And what better way to do that than by going against one of the most productive pass-rushes in the league?
3. The wide receivers.
Like the offensive line, the reason to watch the receivers doesn't have much to do with the starters, although it will be fun to watch Terry McLaurin against Jalen Ramsey and Kendall Fuller. There is still plenty to discover about the bottom of the receiving corps, and seeing two veteran cornerbacks should help answer some questions.
With Dyami Brown seemingly earning himself a spot against the Jets with his 42-yard contested grab in the first quarter, that leaves either one or two spots left for the rest of the receiving corps to battle for. At the top of that group is Brycen Tremayne, who had a pair of impressive catches downfield against the Jets in the joint practice. He also had a 16-yard catch in the game. He'll need to keep up that production, but he's certainly caught people's attention over the past three weeks.
Adding to the discussion is Martavis Bryant, who the Commanders signed earlier this week. Although he clearly has a rare skill set compared to the likes of Davion Davis and Mitchell Tinsley, both players have already built a solid resume of plays that show they could add something to the active roster in September. Bryant will need to learn the offense and get caught up in the next two weeks -- a difficult task for any player this late in camp.
Any receiver battling for a spot will also need to show their value in special teams, whether it be as a returner, blocker or gunner. Jamison Crowder has the most return experience, although Olamide Zaccheaus and Davis got all the return reps against the Jets. Whoever can show the most value in that unit might end up tipping the odds in their favor.
