The Washington Commanders are a hard team to get a grasp on. In 2024, they hired Dan Quinn and selected quarterback Jayden Daniels with the second overall pick in the draft. Those two immediately led Washington to the NFC Championship game in year one, and it looked like the Commanders had a very bright future ahead of them.

Unfortunately, all that hope fizzled out in 2025. Jayden Daniels suffered multiple injuries, and the Commanders finished the season with a 5-12 record.

But this offseason, they’ve put in the work to improve this roster, and I expect them to be competitive again.

Before the Stefon Diggs signing, I thought Washington was clearly the third-best team in the NFC East. But with Diggs, who had 1,000+ yards last year, coming in, will he make enough of a difference for them to fight for the NFC East crown?

Washington’s New Offense

As a rookie, Daniels led the Washington Commanders to 28.8 points per game, which ranked 6th in the league. In 2025, that number dropped to 20.9 PPG, ranking 21st. But that was largely due to injuries to Daniels and wide receiver Terry McLaurin throughout the year. In 2024, they could successfully rely on those two. But 2025 taught them they needed to add more weapons.

In free agency, the Commanders signed Chig Okonkwo, a super-athletic and high-upside tight end from Tennessee. Then, in this year’s draft, Washington selected Antonio Williams, one of the best slot receivers in the class. And on Wednesday, they completed their wide receiver room by signing Stefon Diggs, who is coming off an 85-catch, 1,013-yard season in New England.

With McLaurin already in the building and those three additions, Daniels has a ton of weapons to work with on the outside all of a sudden. Plus, he could have an above-average offensive line if the Commanders’ 2025 first-round pick, Josh Conerly, develops as planned.

Washington’s run game is still a bit of a concern with Jacory Corskey-Merritt set to be the lead back again this season, but they have Kaytron Allen and Rachaad White coming off the bench to provide a bit more depth.

On paper, this offense looks pretty dang good, and could rival their 2024 offense if they can keep Daniels healthy.

How Stefon Diggs Fits In

So how does Stefon Diggs fit into this offense? Quite well, actually.

Terry McLaurin is the deep ball guy on this offense. In 2024, when he and Daniels both played 17 games, he ranked seventh in the NFL in receiving grade on balls thrown 20+ yards downfield with a 99.6. He caught 11 deep balls for (10th in the NFL) for 439 yards (8th) and five touchdowns (2nd). It’s easy to see why, if they’re both healthy, Daniels and McLaurin can lead an explosive offense.

As for Washington’s rookie, Antonio Williams, he was widely considered one of the best slot receivers in his draft class. In 2024, Williams ranked top-10 in receptions (37), yards (344), and touchdowns (3) on passes 0-9 yards downfield. His numbers dropped off in 2025, but everyone on Clemson struggled last year; it wasn’t just him.

That left the Commanders needing someone to work the middle part of the field, and that’s exactly where Diggs excels. He earned an intermediate grade of 97.8 last season, which ranked 12th in the league. But he also earned a 95+ in the short and deep passing game. He’s going to do a lot of damage in the 10-19 yard range, and he’s also capable of working all parts of the field.

Jayden Daniels needed weapons, and the Commanders loaded him up. With McLaurin, Diggs and Williams at his disposal, Daniels now has one of the better wide receiver rooms in the NFC.

Was Diggs the missing piece they needed? I don’t know for sure, because I think there are still holes on this team, particularly at running back and in the trenches, but he’ll certainly add a whole new dynamic to this offense, which now has top-10 potential.