12. Washington Commanders: Winner
If we weren't simply going with black and white "winner or loser" designations for these teams, the Commanders might have landed in the middle somewhere. It's still difficult to know what to make of this team right now, but the one reason the scales tipped in favor of "winner" instead of "loser" was the fact that Commanders 1st-round pick Sonny Styles really impressed.
If the Commanders' defense is going to take a step forward this year (they have to, or they will be irrelevant), Styles will be a huge part of that. As a top-10 pick at a non-premium position, the pressure is on Styles to be a top player at his position almost immediately.
The one reason the Commanders nearly drifted into the "loser" category for me was the wide receiver position. Even with Brandon Aiyuk posting videos in Commanders gear and teasing the possibility of what's to come, this receiver room is a major area of concern until it's not.
11. Minnesota Vikings: Loser
Every team has to go about a legitimate quarterback competition how they see fit, but the Minnesota Vikings' competition at quarterback seems to be over before it has really even gotten going. At least from the outside looking in, it doesn't seem like JJ McCarthy has much of a shot to really start for the Vikings this season, but Minnesota is approaching the offseason program like he does.
And while all is well that ends well, Kyler Murray doesn't seem to be thrilled about splitting reps right now if he's going to start this season. He's trying to learn a new offense, and with reps already limited, splitting those 1st-team reps really hinders things.
There's been too much drama with the Vikings' quarterback situation already this offseason. And maybe that's just competitive spirit from both sides, but this is a team that expects to bounce back to contention, so they need that clarity more than others.
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