ASHBURN, Va. — The Washington Commanders wrapped their mandatory minicamp and set out on a 40 day break between it and the start of training camp in late July.

It’s an opportunity for players and coaches alike to rest a bit and squeeze in some valuable family time before kicking the Commanders’ reclamation project into overdrive.

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Training camp is also an opportunity for lesser-known players to establish themselves and for the well-knowns on the roster in Washington to assert their place at the top of the depth charts.

Here are three players who set themselves up nicely to do that, thanks to strong performances during the team’s minicamp and offseason workout program.

JAYDEN DANIELS, QUARTERBACK

He’s a bit of a no-brainer, but Daniels came in as a No. 2 overall selection and left the minicamp as the nearly unquestioned leader of the Commanders.

We say nearly because in truth he’s surrounded by veterans like linebacker Bobby Wagner and tight end Zach Ertz who can do the heavy player-coach lifting and motivating while Daniels focuses on learning and executing the playbook.

With that framework is where he’s really shone so far as his reputation for being one of the first in the building and last off the practice field has endeared him to his teammates and the work he’s putting in beforehand is showing when they get to their practical exercises.

His control of the offense, knowledge of checks and reads, and overall demeanor have won over the coaches and his teammates so far. And that’s all you can ask of a first-round pick carrying the weight of the franchise’s future on his shoulders.

QUAN MARTIN, SAFETY

Sam Fortier of The Washington Post pointed at Martin when asked who the standout player of minicamp was on a recent appearance on the Locked On Commanders podcast.

The second-year defensive back was arguably one of the more solid players from last year’s otherwise lackluster NFL Draft class, and a late-season move to free safety started to show his potential.

This year, he’s much more solidified at that position and is appearing to create a solid starting duo with first-year Washington safety Jeremy Chinn who came over from the Carolina Panthers.

DAN QUINN, HEAD COACH

Ok, Quinn isn’t a player so in some ways he shouldn’t be qualified to make this list. But he’ll be a major player in the way this Washington turnaround project progresses or fails, so we’re making an exception.

The words he spoke this offseason all sounded great. They rang the tone usually carried by a true leader who had a clear plan and the right people in place to execute it.

But the minicamp was the first really big test of those words being put into action, and from everything we witnessed it appears he and his unit passed that first inspection with flying colors.

There are no pads, no hitting, and the football is only marginally ‘real’, but it’s all we have to gauge and when we’re talking about people who have momentum heading into training camp Quinn is arguably the biggest.

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Stick with CommanderGameday and the Locked On Commanders podcast for more coverage of the Washington Commanders throughout the 2024 season.