The Washington Commanders might begin the regular season with rookies starting at two of the most important positions on offense, and they are completely fine with that possibility.

General manager Adam Peters and head coach Dan Quinn had a long to-do list when it came to forming the Commanders 2024 roster with finding a quarterback and left tackle being at or near the top. Jayden Daniels' name isn't written in ink at the top of the position yet, but his gradual progression throughout the first two weeks in camp makes that decision even more of an inevitability than it already was when he was drafted No. 2 overall.

The battle for left tackle has been more of a mystery, but perhaps a solution is on the horizon. Third-round pick Brandon Coleman has taken the starting reps for the past week, and until he gives the coaches a reason to pull him, it's fair to assume that the job is his to lose.

If things remain this way until Week 1, that means the Commanders will play the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, led by head coach and defensive play-caller Todd Bowles, with a rookie left tackle and quarterback. Does that concern them? Maybe, but if they end up being their best options, then they're willing to take their chances.

"You want to make sure you're putting the team and the roster in the best places to play well and to win," Quinn said. "There's no hesitation as far as the best guy and how to go play with that."

The Commanders still have several obstacles ahead of them before deciding on the official depth chart, but for the ones they have already faced, Coleman has been the best option. The concerns about his lack of experience at the position seem to diminish by the day, as he's shown solid footwork, good hands and physicality. None of that seemed to lessen when the team put on pads -- a significant moment for players close to the line of scrimmage. In fact, all of Coleman's strengths looked more impressive.

Where Coleman excels the most is in pass protection, where his quick feet allow him to keep up with Washington's speedier edge rushers. Through two days of one-on-one drills, Coleman has yet to lose a rep, getting wins over Clelin Ferrell, Dorance Armstrong and Dante Fowler Jr.

"One of the things that I knew was he is a very good athlete, but what I have been more impressed by is he's got great balance for a big guy and so he's got power in his legs," Quinn said. "He is very rarely somebody that's out of position or on the ground. He's very deliberate in the way he moves and practices."

And Coleman has been just as solid in the run game. One of his best plays came during a two-point conversion play at the start of the first day in pads. Coleman sealed off the strong-side linebacker, allowing Brian Robinson to get in the end zone.

One of Coleman's biggest assets, Quinn said, is his ability to stay in control.

"You never see him overextended or out of position because when you do get beat, usually somebody's out of position, it's hard to recover," Quinn said. "He has that ability to stay connected to somebody."

Coleman's next test will be the Commanders' joint practice against the New York Jets next week. It will serve as a barometer for where the rookie is at in his development, as the Jets tied for the seventh most sack in 2023.

The Commanders have encouraged competition at every level this offseason, and Coleman has certainly jumped at that opportunity. He still has more steps to take, but if he can claim the job as his own, it would solve several short-term problems for Washington's offensive line and validate the front office's decision to pass on several of the perceived top tackle prospects in the draft to take him.

Here are some more observations from Friday's practice.

-- We're at the point in camp where fans expect daily updates on certain positions and players, so let's start off by running through them. 1) Jayden Daniels took all the starting snaps today (more on how he did with the reps later); 2) Coleman also took all the starting snaps at left tackle and looks to have a decent hold on the job at least until joint practices; and 3) the kicking competition between Riley Patterson and Ramiz Ahmed entered its second day. Both were 4-of-5 during the field goal period and hit a 53-yarder during four-minute drills.

-- The Commanders held one-on-one drills for the second time this week and both sides of the ball brought plenty of energy. The first win of the day came from the defense, as Benjamin St-Juste broke up a pass intended for Dyami Brown. Another solid defensive play came from rookie Mike Sainristil, who nearly picked off a ball for Jamison Crowder.

-- The level of contact has increased over the past two days with players being in pads, but it's clear that they're ready for a little more. During one-on-one drills, tight end Zach Ertz laid a lick on Sainristil before running his route. Later in four-minute drills, Tariq Castro-Fields lowered a shoulder into Armani Rogers, who took a completed pass out of bounds. Fortunately, they don't have to wait much longer to hit another team; the joint practice between the Commanders and Jets is just six days away.

-- It seems obvious to point out just how good Terry McLaurin has been over the years, but the veteran wideout continues to look impressive. He beat Emmanuel Forbes Jr. on a route during one-on-one drills, and he had a bobbling one-handed grab during an 11-on-11 period.

-- We promised an update on how Daniels looked in practice, so here it is: he looked sharp, which has become the norm for the rookie. He was in command of the huddle, made checks at the line of scrimmage and made some strong throws. He completed 4-of-5 passes during one 11-on-11 drills, finding Jahan Dotson, Ertz, McLaurin and Zaccheaus. His only miss was a pass intended for Luke McCaffrey, but it was placed in a spot where only McCaffrey could have caught it.

-- The Commanders wrapped up the day with a four-minute drill, and it didn't take long for the offense to move down the field. Robinson opened things up with an untouched run up the middle of the defense for a big gain. The drive ultimately ended in a field goal, but it didn't away from how explosive Robinson looked coming out of the backfield.

-- Sam Hartman also got some reps during the four-minute drills, although it looked more like a seven-on-seven period with the offensive and defensive lines off the field. Brycen Tremayne flashed yet again with a catch deep downfield, as the second-year pro continues to stack together solid days. The practice ended with a leaping grab from undrafted rookie Colson Yankoff, which put the offense inside the 15-yard line and allowed Hartman to spike the ball with less than five seconds on the clock.