Commanders TE room is stacked for 2025 (but one major concern remains)

Like any good general manager, Adam Peters expressed delight with all nine of the draft picks from his inaugural Washington Commanders' class of 2024. But if you were watching closely, he was most happy with three in particular.

Peters was ecstatic over quarterback Jayden Daniels. And he seemed genuinely thrilled to get cornerback Mike Sainristil in the middle of the second round.

But he may have been most happy about the player he got a few picks later — tight end Ben Sinnott.

When talking to him on the phone after the selection, Peters compared the Kansas State prospect to “Juice.” He was referring to Kyle Juszczyk, the jack-of-all-trades, All-Pro fullback from his days in San Francisco. At other times, he compared Sinnott to tight end George Kittle.

With comparisons like that, it’s no wonder Peters was thrilled to add Sinnott to the roster.

Ben Sinnott's growth will determine the Commanders' tight end prosperity long term

With expectations that high, Sinnott’s rookie season was a disappointment. He never supplanted veteran Zach Ertz as the Commanders' primary flex tight end. He caught just five passes to the veteran's 66. Both return in 2025, but look for their roles to shift.

Washington’s tight end unit may be the offensive position group that undergoes the biggest metamorphosis in 2025, even though they are likely to have the same personnel on the roster.

There are new running backs, new wide receivers, and new offensive linemen across the board. The tight end room will almost certainly remain Ertz, Sinnott, in-line blocker John Bates, and developmental flex option Colson Yankoff, just as it was in 2024.

Tyree Jackson and Cole Turner round out the tight end roster this summer, but neither is likely to make the squad barring an injury or two.

When Ertz was signed in 2024, he was viewed as a bridge. He was 33 years old and had only had one completely healthy season since 2019. Offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury knew the Pro Bowler from their time together in Arizona and understood how valuable he could be for a team breaking in a young quarterback.

He was right.

When the Commanders drafted Sinnott, Ertz's presence became even more valuable as a mentor to the tight end of the future. Many fans and analysts alike thought that transition would happen throughout his rookie season.

It did not, in part because Ertz stayed healthy and discovered a fountain of youth. His 66 catches were the second most he had recorded since 2019, and his seven touchdowns were his best number since 2018. Sinnott simply could not overtake him and earn snaps.

Things should be different in 2025. With a year under his belt, Sinnott needs to begin showing why Peters was so gung-ho on him a year ago. He has the speed to stretch the field on seam routes and showed excellent hands and route running in college. He should begin seeing the field more often in 2025, either with Ertz in double-tight end sets or on his own.

If, for some reason, Sinnott falters, the Commanders will likely rely on Ertz the way they did in 2024. Hopefully, he will remain up to the task. But Colson Yankoff has been an intriguing player ever since Peters signed him as an undrafted free agent out of UCLA last year.

If anything, he is even more of a Juszczyk clone than Sinnott.

He has positional versatility and enough athleticism to make plays downfield. The fact that he was signed at all offers a glimpse into how Peters is emulating the types of versatile offensive players Kyle Shanahan favors in San Francisco. The fact that Yankoff made the roster last year suggests that Dan Quinn and Kingsbury agree with that philosophy.

If Washington recreates its attack from last year, with Bates serving as a blocker and Ertz getting open on intermediate routes over the middle, things should be fine. But if Sinnott and perhaps even Yankoff get on the field more this year, it will lead to a more open and explosive offense.

Tight ends will be running a wider range of patterns and will be lining up all over the field. That's only going to help Daniels and expand Kingsbury's schematic options.

Sinnott can split out to take advantage of slower safeties. Yankoff can line up as a wing or as a traditional fullback to lead block or help out in pass protection. Ertz will not disappear by any means, but normal development should lead Washington’s tight ends to play an even bigger part in the offense in 2025.

If all goes well, it should lead to long-term success at the position. If not, the Commanders have a problem on their hands.