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A “fantastic athlete” for the Washington Commanders showed signs of growth during OTAs and minicamp in 2025.
Unheralded receivers impressing this offseason is becoming a theme for the Washington Commanders, with a “fantastic” and intriguing athlete credited with showing signs of growth during OTAs and minicamp.
Tight end Colson Yankoff is the latest size and speed mismatch to be applauded for his progress this offseason. The praise comes from Ben Standig of The Athletic, who believes “Washington’s tight end depth could pass for a group of NBA swingmen. That size leads to intrigue, starting with the 6-foot-4 Colson Yankoff, a fantastic athlete and special teams standout who grew as a pass catcher this spring.”
Yankoff’s upsurge as a receiver could be bad news for second-year pro Ben Sinnott. The 53rd pick from the 2024 NFL draft has already been slammed as a disappointment, a sentiment he couldn’t change during minicamp.
Sinnott’s ongoing struggles prompt more doubts about the rest of the depth chart at tight end behind ageing and underrated position leader Zach Ertz. Last year’s undrafted free agent Yankoff developing ahead of expectations might provide some answers to those troubling questions.
Colson Yankoff Remains Intriguing for Commanders
Yankoff’s history as both a running back and wide receiver during his time at UCLA makes him an intriguing hybrid talent. The Commanders have been content to let the 25-year-old learn the ropes as a tight end in the pros, but he’s mostly been limited to a role on special teams.
To Yankoff’s credit, he’s become a “standout” in football’s third phase, according to Standig. Yet, there’s a growing need for Yankoff to make more of a dent as a pass-catcher.
He offered a glimpse of what that might look like with this catch and run highlighted during OTAs.
The need for more of this from Yankoff stems from Ertz being 34, Sinnott still facing a steep learning curve and incumbent John Bates being one-dimensional. Bates is a formidable blocker, but he lacks nuance and athleticism against coverage.
Getting Yankoff more involved would not only ease the receiving burden on Ertz. It can also give star quarterback Jayden Daniels a vertical target for more deep shots in his second campaign.
Fortunately, a vertical connection between Daniels and Yankoff was obvious at last year’s minicamp, per The Washington Post’s Sam Fortier.
Daniels needs taller pass-catchers to aim for, so it’s a good thing Yankoff isn’t the only size mismatch staking a claim this offseason.
Commanders Have Growing Number of Towering Targets
Yankoff faces competition for reps at tight end from a 6-foot-7 converted quarterback who’s one to watch at training camp. Both players offer obvious matchup advantages for the Commanders if isolated against cornerbacks, either in the slot or on the perimeter.
Putting more height on the outside makes sense for offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury, when his wide receiver corps lacks a towering weapon. No. 1 receiver Terry McLaurin is 6-foot, the same as All-Pro newcomer Deebo Samuel.
Rookie Jaylin Lane offers track speed, but this year’s fourth-round pick stands just 5-foot-10. Meanwhile, none of Luke McCaffrey, Michael Gallup nor Noah Brown stand taller than 6-foot-2.
Even a 10-year veteran who has been one of the surprise packages of this offseason is only 6-foot-1. What’s lacking is somebody able to dwarf coverage and take the top off of defenses in an instant.
Creating one-on-one matchups for Yankoff’s physical profile can help add what the Commanders are missing, provided he builds on his latest efforts with more impressive reps at training camp.
James Dudko covers the New York Giants, Washington Commanders, New England Patriots and Baltimore Ravens for Heavy.com. He has covered the NFL and world soccer since 2011, with bylines at FanSided, Prime Time Sports Talk and Bleacher Report before joining Heavy in 2021. More about James Dudko
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