Jayden Daniels isn't the only promising preseason development for the Commanders offense

Right now, the Washington Commanders' offensive identity runs through quarterback Jayden Daniels, as it should.

The rookie has looked really, really good through two preseason games and has even provided a couple of highlight-reel-worthy plays. But don't sleep on Brian Robinson, Austin Ekeler, and the Commanders run game. At least for now.

The Commanders have moved the ball pretty well on the ground, so far, especially when Robinson is in the line up. The third-year back has been running with a purpose during the preseason and looks better than ever. He's recorded 42-yards on eight carries, including two runs of 11-yards thrown in the mix.

Ekeler has looked very good, too. His stat line isn't as impressive, but he converted a third down with a hard run against the Jets and got the offense back in a 3rd-and-manageable after Nick Allegretti's false start put the unit in a 2nd and 7 from the NYJ 7. He would've converted another third down against the Dolphins, but Andrew Wiley was called for holding and it wiped out the run.

Altogether, Robinson and Ekeler should form a nice 1-2 punch. Especially when considering both players can catch the ball out of the backfield. That allows Kliff Kingsbury to keep the playbook open and opposing defenses on their heels.

Kingsbury has also been doing a nice job of mixing in zone and power runs, like he said he would do when he was first hired back in February. That tailors to both Robinson, who's more of a downhill guy, and Ekeler, who is a quicker, more elusive back. If Robinson can keep improving his pass protection, then the Commanders will boast one of the NFL's best backfield tandems, easily.

It's not just about those two guys, though. There's a really strong competition going on for the RB3-down jobs between veteran Jeremy McNichols, rookie undrafted free agent Austin Wiley, and Chris Rodriguez. The latter really impressed with some chunk plays against the Dolphins, finishing with 38 yards from scrimmage on seven touches, while the former is your battle-tested veteran who can come in on third downs/obvious passing downs.

"I thought he [Robinson] ran heavy, and strong and, I mean, [it] wasn't a lot of carries, but I have a very good sense for what he is, and he's hard to tackle," Commanders head coach Dan Quinn told reporters after the game. "... As it goes into third and fourth, running back and on down, you really are trying to find a couple of different styles of players. So I thought Wiley had some ones to go. We're trying to find out guys on special teams. Thought Jeremy's been, you know, consistent in doing what we're doing.

Having an effective running game is always a good thing, but the obvious (and main) benefit is how it aids Daniels' development as a quarterback. He's already shown tremendous poise and command of the offense, as we've been told all summer long, so having a partner in crime, like a good running game, would only elevate what he can do.

That's if it all holds up, of course. The good news is the Commanders are getting a lot of good push on the right side, where stalwart Sam Cosmi resides. Tyler Biadasz, the team's free agent signing at center and Nick Allegretti the new left guard, have played pretty well, too. The tackle position, on both sides, still has questions but if the interior can prove to be an effective trio, then this all should continue into the regular season.

As with all things NFL - only time will tell. But until then, it will be interesting to see how this all plays out.