Which Commanders wide receiver has impressed Dan Quinn?

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While everyone is ready to say the Washington Commanders should sign Stefon Diggs or Brandon Aiyuk — when he's released — perhaps they like the players they already have.

It's fair to say that the Commanders weren't happy with the wide receiver position outside of Terry McLaurin last season. When McLaurin was hurt for the first time in his career, it was often a patchwork unit, which forced Deebo Samuel to play out of position at times. The Commanders would need players from the practice squad to fill out the position for much of the season.

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In March, GM Adam Peters made an aggressive bid for Colts wide receiver Alec Pierce. Pierce chose to remain with Indianapolis. Washington also made a bid for Romeo Doubs, who signed with the Patriots. Instead, Peters brought back Dyami Brown and added veteran Van Jefferson. In the 2026 NFL Draft, the Commanders selected Antonio Williams.

Suddenly, Washington's wide receiver room looks much different in 2026. In addition to McLaurin, Williams, Brown and Jefferson, the Commanders also have Luke McCaffrey, Treylon Burks and Jaylin Lane. McCaffrey took a big step forward last season, until a broken collarbone ended his season. Burks, a former first-round pick, showed promise in his limited opportunities last season.

Now that he's had a couple of months with this new group, which receivers — not named Terry McLaurin — have stood out to head coach Dan Quinn?

A number of them have," Quinn said before Tuesday's minicamp practice. "I would say on the outside, Van Jefferson has been somebody that's really caught my eye. Having Dyami back has been excellent as well. I hit him up after practice the other day. There's just a good intensity about him, a good mindset of where he is at. And so, he's somebody that I've been super impressed with. Just off the bat, it's good to see Lane and McCaffrey making their jumps in. Those are a few that jump to mind. But having Dyami back full of speed, and having Van here, he's an excellent route runner going into it."

It's not a surprise to hear Quinn praise Brown. Quinn was a big fan of Brown in 2024, and the wide receiver had his best NFL season that year. After one year away, Brown is back. However, it was surprising to hear Quinn praise Jefferson so heavily.

On the one hand, it shouldn't, as Jefferson is a veteran, a former second-round pick, and his dad was a successful NFL player and is currently a coach. At 29, Jefferson is on his fifth NFL team. His best NFL season came in 2021, his second year, when he caught 50 passes for 802 yards and eight touchdowns. He won a Super Bowl ring that year with the Rams. Last season, Jefferson played for the Titans, appearing in 16 games and making 7 starts. He caught 29 passes for 350 yards and a touchdown.

When Peters didn't land a top-flight free agent, he set out to ensure the entire room had much better depth than last season. The additions of Brown and Jefferson do that. Williams is expected to have a significant role as a rookie, while Burks, McCaffrey and Lane will all compete for snaps.

When Jefferson signed, he felt like a long shot to make the roster. It's clear that he's impressed Washington's coaching staff. Regardless of what happens over the next several weeks, it still seems like the Commanders will sign Aiyuk once he becomes available. That type of addition would shake up the room.

This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Washington Commanders: Veteran WR has impressed Dan Quinn

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