Jayden Daniels as QB1 isn't the only surprise on Commanders' first depth chart

The Washington Commanders issued the first unofficial depth chart of the preseason this week and in doing so, confirmed rookie passer Jayden Daniels tops the chart at quarterback.

Commanders head coach Dan Quinn said that Daniels has "surpassed my expectations of the readiness, of the command" while speaking on the announcement, according to ESPN’s John Keim . That the team made it official this early is where the surprise comes into play.

But that’s not the only surprise on the chart.

Arguably the biggest other surprise is both Quinn and the depth chart itself admitting that former first-round pick Emmanuel Forbes gets listed as a backup at cornerback. The chart puts him behind Benjamin St-Juste, Michael Davis and rookie Mike Sainristil.

Forbes, a first-round pick by the Commanders in 2023, has worked hard to reinvent himself this offseason by packing muscle onto his frame while working with the new regime of coaches. He struggled as a rookie over double-digit appearances, earning a 50.9 PFF grade.

The initial sport on the depth chart confirms just how far Forbes has to go. While he has rotated in and received some first-team looks this summer, there’s the whole idea that Ron Rivera draft picks keep filtering quickly out of the system in Washington right now.

The potential is there for Forbes and the work has clearly been done. But the first depth chart says quite a bit about where things stand for the Commanders.