As rookie tight end Ben Sinnott emerges, can veteran Zach Ertz hang onto the starting job with the Washington Commanders?
The Washington Commanders used the No. 53 overall pick in the second round to select tight end Ben Sinnott out of Kansas State. The 6-4, 247 tight end was a great choice as a building block for this rebuilt Commanders offense.
An offense that also includes this year’s No. 2 overall pick quarterback Jayden Daniels. Before the draft, the Commanders signed former Philadelphia Eagles and Arizona Cardinals tight end Zach Ertz to provide leadership and a security blanket for their rookie quarterback.
The question now becomes, can the rookie Sinnott beat out Ertz before the start of the season?
Ertz, who did not play in the first preseason game, is a three-time Pro Bowler who battled injuries the last two years playing in just 17 games. Last season, he caught 27 passes for 187 yards and one score.
The former Stanford Cardinal turns 34 this season, and while he wants to prove he can still play at a high level, he may be fighting an uphill battle.
Sinnott is 13 years Ertz’s junior and has reportedly been winning over coaches since being drafted in the second round back in April. On Saturday, the former Kansas State Wildcat only helped his cause hauling in all three passes thrown his way for 57 yards including a big 44-yard catch and run.
If you look around at the Commanders’ skill position players, there is a youth movement. As the preseason continues and Sinnott gets more looks, Ertz could find himself falling down the depth chart.
