The Washington Commanders hosted the Miami Dolphins in a joint practice on Wednesday. It was the first chance for the Commanders to test themselves against another team ahead of Friday's preseason opener, also against Miami.
While some players, like center Nick Allegretti, cornerback Trey Amos, left tackle Laremy Tunsil, tight end John Bates, all missed practice due to injuries, everyone else participated. And it was a good day for Washington.
It's important to remember that the Dolphins are in the early stages of a rebuild. Miami traded away or moved on from some of its best players over the past year. The Dolphins also have a new coaching staff and GM. But the Commanders have plenty of new, too. Two new coordinators and several new starters on both sides of the ball.
Several players stood out in Wednesday's scrimmage, but we're going to narrow it down to six players. Here are six standouts from the scrimmage against the Dolphins.
QB Jayden Daniels
This is what you wanted to see. Daniels looked like a quarterback who'd been playing in the same offense for a decade — not a few months. His accuracy is back to 2024 levels. He was layering throws to the second level, connecting on deep balls, and spreading the ball around. He was winning with his brain and his arm — not his legs. That could make Daniels even more dangerous in 2026. What a day for No. 5.
This was Jayden Daniels all day. It wasn't like Dolphins players were covering pooly. Daniels was DEALING. His ball placement is elite. https://t.co/VRQ1PDGn29
— Omar Kelly (@OmarKelly) August 12, 2026 WR Stefon Diggs
Diggs has only been practicing with the Commanders since Friday. But you fully got to see why he is such a special player. He knows how to get open. For any steps he may have lost physically, he is a phenomenal route runner. And when you have a quarterback like Daniels who is so good at ball placement, that makes Diggs even more dangerous. He's always going to be where he's supposed to be, and he catches everything. Daniels and Diggs hooked up multiple times on Wednesday, and it's clear the quarterback is already comfortable with Diggs.
Stefon Diggs is a game-changer for Washington's offense. I spent a lot of time saying they didn't NEED to bring him in. Their room was fine. I still think that was true. But bringing him in was brilliant. He runs great routes. He's always open. He's just really good. He's…
— Grant Paulsen (@GrantPaulsen) August 12, 2026 WR Treylon Burks
We could've also gone with Terry McLaurin and Antonio Williams here, but Burks deserves some love. The 6-foot-2, 225-pounder is having a solid camp. He made a few plays against the Dolphins, including catching a deep ball from Daniels. If the season began today, it sure looks like Burks could be Washington's No. 3 receiver.
long ball to Burks ✊ @SeatGeek | #RaiseHail pic.twitter.com/Hlb14ySbYg
— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) August 12, 2026 EDGE K'Lavon Chaisson
Chaisson and Odafe Oweh have been outstanding since camp started two weeks ago. Oweh makes plenty of plays. Chaisson is equally as impressive, stopping the run and pressuring the passer. He was all over the place on Wednesday. Chaisson is about to have a huge season.
My goodness Chaisson is in the backfield a lot
— Zach Selby (@ZachSelbyWC) August 12, 2026 EDGE Joshua Josephs
The Commanders could have an embarrassment of riches on the edge. Chaisson, Oweh, Dorance Armstrong and rookie fifth-round pick Joshua Josephs are quite an improvement from one year ago. Don't forget about Javontae Jean-Baptiste either. He's also having a good camp. But if Josephs continues at his current rate, he could prove to be one of the draft's top steals. The Commanders loved his athleticism and length. He's making plays every day. On Wednesday, he did a little bit of everything. He could prove to be a force off the bench late in games when opposing offensive tackles are winded.
Joshua Josephs is having a FIELD DAY! Multiple sacks and pressures ‼️
— On The Fence Podcast (@theotfpodcast) August 12, 2026 CB Mike Sainristil
Sainristil needed a good day. He's had a solid camp, winning some battles and losing others, but that's the life of a cornerback. Sainristil had the play of the day against the Dolphins, picking off Malik Willis and returning it for a touchdown. He was fired up. His teammates were fired up. His energy has been different this summer, as playing for new defensive coordinator Daronte Jones may prove to be exactly what he needed.
Mike Saintistil had a pick-six on Malik Willis and punted the football in celebration.
— David Furones (@DavidFurones_) August 12, 2026 This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: 6 Commanders who stood out vs. Dolphins in joint practice