Rachaad White (undisclosed) misses practice Wed.

No word on what the injury was; it’s possible Ford is released with an injury settlement and resurfaces elsewhere this year. Not being close to making the Commanders depth chart at running back is ... a bleak endorsement of Ford’s future prospects. He’ll look to catch on elsewhere.

Writing in his Last Man Standig blog, Standig added that Bill has also improved in pass protection. Rachaad White was brought in to handle work on passing downs, but the Commanders only paid him $2 million on a one-year deal. JCM could easily eat into White’s role through the air if he rounds out his skill set. White currently goes ahead of JCM in Best Ball drafts. That ADP could easily flip with another round of Bill hype.

Jacory “Bill” Croskey-Merritt was noticeably bigger this spring, per Keim, and Dan Quinn said they’d told the back he needed to add bulk and be a bigger factor in the passing game. Keim doesn’t list a strong No. 2 runner on the depth chart, but we’d expect Rachaad White to have first crack at the No. 2 duties. Bill probably belongs in the RB3/RB4 tier for the moment.

Reporters asked Quinn to name players who stood out and stepped up throughout the offseason. White, WR Van Jefferson and rookie WR Jaden Bradley were the three offensive players. The latter two could have a tough time achieving fantasy relevance, but White has a wide range of outcomes. The Commanders are hoping RB Jacory Croskey-Merritt can return from his soft tissue injury and prove his three-down viability. They also drafted RB Kaytron Allen. White, 27, has struggled to perform well as a rusher, but is a proven passing game contributor. Depending on how things shake out in training camp, White could have a reliable role this season.

Whether Croskey-Merritt can participate in the Commanders’ three-day mandatory minicamp, from June 16-18, is unknown. That said, Standig believes RB coach Anthony Lynn’s “positivity is notable.” Lynn thinks the team can take Croskey-Merritt’s game “to another level and get him potentially in the lead role.” To do this, Croskey-Merritt must take on more responsibility in the passing game this summer. Lynn adds that the young back’s “hands are very good, his movement skills are very good, and there’s no reason why he couldn’t win routes.” The staff is happy with its new-look backfield, but Standing writes that RBs Rachaad White, Jeremy McNichols and Jerome Ford “are not high-volume playmaking threats,” like “Bill” is, and rookie RB Allen is still getting up to speed. Once Croskey-Merritt arrives, he must prove that he can meaningfully contribute as a receiver and as a pass protector. Doing so would unlock a fantasy-friendly role.

Henry (5’9”/196) is an undersized back who spent five seasons at the college ranks, starting his career at JUCO Jones College in 2021 before making the leap to UTSA in 2023. Henry rushed for 127-588-11 in his first season with the Roadrunners, leading them in touchdowns, and was the unquestioned lead back in his final two seasons. Henry tested well in the explosiveness drills at this year’s scouting combine, but his size, coupled with his 4.52 40 time, resulted in a 6.91 RAS. He’s an average athlete at the position and has never shown enough to suggest he’ll have a three-down skillset at the next level. Henry caught 58 passes for 428 yards in three seasons at UTSA, with his season-high in receiving yards (199) coming in 2024. Henry forced missed tackles at a 24.4 percent clip on his rush attempts, and averaged a career-best 4.25 yards after contact per attempt in his final season. He still has work to do to develop in pass protection, which could further hinder his chances of getting third-down work, but his size and average athleticism could also work against him in the pros. He’ll need to impress on special teams if he hopes to crack a 53-man roster early in his career, and will be learning on the fly as PFF credits him with just eight career ST snaps in three seasons.

The two-down grinder will join a Washington backfield alongside Rachaad White and Jacory Croskey-Merritt. Allen (5’11/216) was a four-star recruit with offers from every powerhouse in the country. After landing at Penn State, he immediately showed why he was so sought after coming out of high school. He ran for a pair of touchdowns against Auburn in his third career game and cleared 100 yards versus Central Michigan the next week. Allen would go on to lead the Nittany Lions in carries while competing with five-star freshman Nick Singleton for touches. That would be the case for all four of his seasons at Penn State. Allen’s outstanding career culminated in a 210-1,303-15 rushing line in 2025, making him Penn State’s all-time leading rusher. He does all the little things well as a runner, allowing plays to develop and following blockers like a seasoned pro. The biggest drawback is a lack of top-end speed or agility. Allen’s mark of 3.8 yards after contact per carry ranked just outside the top 50 backs in the country last year. The fact that he opted not to do athletic testing at the NFL Combine or his Pro Day suggests his numbers would have been underwhelming.

Ford had a successful run with the Browns from 2022 to 2025, with his best years coming in 2023 and 2024 when he rushed for a combined 308-1,378-7 while adding another 81-544-5 through the air. He was phased out of the offense in 2025 after the Browns added rookies Quinshon Judkins and Dylan Sampson, but Ford could have a chance at seeing a more significant role in Washington. We’ll have more clarity on what Ford’s role could look like after the draft, where the Commanders could still opt to take an RB on Day 1 or Day 2, but he’ll make for an interesting late-round dart throw if he’s only competing for reps with Jacory Croskey-Merritt and Rachaad White.

The signing reunites White with his college signal caller, Commanders QB Jayden Daniels. The two played together from 2020-2021 at Arizona State. White logged 42 carries and eight receptions in 2020 before blossoming into a featured dual-threat player in 2021. That season, he rushed 182 times and caught 43 passes. The Commanders will likely add another running back or two via free agency or the 2026 NFL Draft, but White can currently be viewed as the favorite to handle passing down duties and will presumably compete with second-year RB Jacory Croskey-Merritt for the lead rushing role as well. This looks like a fantasy-friendly signing for White.

He believes that something will happen in “the near future” with White. The Seahawks depth chart at running back is barren with Kenneth Walker off to the Seahawks and Zach Charbonnet injured and unlikely to start the 2026 season on the roster. White could handle the workload early while Charbonnet recovers, if the Seahawks choose him from the pool of available running backs.