Trey Amos is doing more than turning heads, he's forcing his way into the Commanders' cornerback conversation.
ASHBURN, Va. — Every phase of operation affords players a new chance to make an impression on the Washington Commanders’ decision makers in hopes of securing a roster spot, or even better, a starting job.
Rookie cornerback Trey Amos impressed Commanders personnel so much they thought there was no way he’d be available in the second round of the NFL Draft, and they were through the roof when he was at pick No. 61.
“When we got out of the first round, we kind of shifted our gear to the next group of guys we wanted, thinking Trey would be gone,” Washington defensive backs coach Tommy Donatell shared with WUSA9 during OTAs. “When he was there, we were super excited, and he's just this type of player that fits what coach Whitt really wants to do — get up there and press, physical, good length, obviously really good speed, really good athlete, can bend. We really like what we're seeing so far, early on, and he's a smart player too.”
Donatell told us Amos has been impressive in his first real exposures with Washington, and agreed emphatically with defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr.’s comments about the rookie being ahead of the curve.
Of course, early comments like those don’t go unnoticed, and neither does a first practice interception against the franchise quarterback. Consistently, from our own eyes at multiple practices and several comments from coaches and teammates, Amos has done well. Entering mandatory minicamp with loads of momentum, the rookie now has the opportunity to put himself squarely in the mix of what looks to be a three-man battle for two starting perimeter jobs on the Commanders’ 2025 defense.
COMMANDERS' CB COMPETITION
If you list the Commanders’ perimeter cornerbacks on paper, Marshon Lattimore is likely to be your No. 1. Even though he didn’t necessarily live up to potentially unrealistic expectations after being traded to Washington in November in the midst of hamstring injury recovery, he still has a long track record of being a lockdown cornerback in the NFL. That has to count for something.
Also, as the only multi-time Pro Bowler in the group, he deserves a little benefit of the doubt as well.
However, his decision to not participate in the voluntary OTA practices has opened the door to more opportunity for guys like Amos, and led to the potential that the upcoming period between minicamp and training camp may at least be partially filled with talks that the rookie could either replace the veteran, or at least run opposite of him.
In that case, Amos would be winning a starting job over free-agent signing Jonathan Jones, who came over from the New England Patriots and not only has 71 career starts but two Super Bowl rings as a member of arguably the most dominant dynasty the league has ever seen.
While he’s 31 years old and certainly doesn’t have the longevity Amos does, Jones isn’t going to simply step out of the way and let the young guy take over without some competition. Which, of course, is the entire point.
That brings us back to the main subject of today’s story, the rookie from Ole Miss with previous stops at Alabama and Louisiana along the way.
He doesn’t have an NFL resume to stand on, so he’s got to do his talking with his play. So far, he’s doing a bang-up job of standing out just as much for his play as he does for his unmistakable smile, grill and all.
COMMANDERS DEPTH CHART WIDE OPEN THIS SUMMER
It is one of our favorite sayings this staff has, that there are no ‘sacred cows’ on this roster. Even with that mindset, the front office has acknowledged that Laremy Tunsil has his starting job locked in at left tackle. Everyone else, they’re going to have to go out there and prove they deserve it. Must be nice to be a five-time Pro Bowler.
Because of this, nobody, not even the presumed No. 1 cornerback Lattimore, has a job secured. This is great news for guys like Amos. Because while he may not have any NFL-earned jewelry yet, or even one career game on his resume, he has just as much of a chance as anyone to win a starting job.
He also benefits from playing one of the few positions in this league that can actually show some game potential during OTAs.
WHY CB PLAY STANDS OUT DURING NON-CONTACT PRACTICES
Most defenders can’t make contact this time of year, and it shows. It changes how they move, how they compete, and how they’re evaluated. For a cornerback in a league that is quarterback-driven and therefore targeted at getting as many highlight-worthy plays as possible, this means less wiggle room to contact receivers in any real way, even when the pads are on.
In turn, that means when we see Amos making impressive plays in non-contact practices or hear his coaches raving about how well he’s doing even now, there’s a little stronger indication of future success that comes with it. Because when the pads go on, the technique doesn’t change as much, and the instincts and reaction times required to be successful don’t either, as long as your offensive counterparts are giving you good work by challenging you with their routes.
If history is an indicator of future behavior, then it’ll be some time, weeks into training camp, even, before we get any solidified starter decisions from the Commanders.
Even with his OTA absence, it is hard to imagine Lattimore won’t earn one of the two starting outside cornerback positions. As for the second, while there’s still a long way to go before any decisions are finalized, Amos has already done the most important thing a rookie can do by making people believe in his potential beyond the draft room.
If he keeps stacking days during the mandatory minicamp starting on Tuesday the way he has so far, it’s not just a starting job that could be within reach… It’s a real chance to reshape the secondary in Washington for years to come.
