Last season the biggest fans’ biggest concern heading into camp, as judged by Hogs Haven discussion threads and polling results, was why Adam Peters had not done more to upgrade the offensive tackles, and what the apparent neglect of the position would mean for the team’s rookie QB.
As it turned out, the biggest weaknesses in pass protection the previous season had been the QB himself and the interior offensive line. Those positions were the main focus of offseason investment, and the results were spectacular.
This year the big worry is why more was not done to shore up the edge defense. The team’s ability to pressure the quarterback has been a major concern, following the departure of 2024 sack leader Dante Fowler. But run defense was actually the Commanders’ biggest weakness last season. And my recent four part series showed that Right Defensive End (RDE) was the weak link on the defensive line. To compete against the elite rushing attacks they face this season, the Commanders will need to get better play out of their right edge defenders as well as the right interior defenders.
While questions remain about the pass rush, those concerns have been a little overstated as a result of taking raw production stats out of context. The Commanders defense ranked 11th in the NFL in total sacks during the 2024 regular season, according to official NFL stats, and 21st in total QB pressures, according to PFF. However, they also faced the 2nd fewest pass attempts of any team.
Adjusting for numbers of opposing QB dropbacks, to enable like-for-like comparisons, reveals that the Commanders’ pass rush was more effective than many appreciate. Expressing pass rush productivity as Sack Rate (percentage of dropbacks resulting in a sack), raises their league ranking from 11th to 5th. Similarly, their ranking at pressuring the QB improves from 21st to 12th, when Pressure Rate (percentage of dropbacks with a QB pressure) is used instead of raw pressure counts.
The Commanders’ pass rush was actually very effective last season. The sack and pressure totals were low because the Commanders faced the second fewest passing attempts. That was almost certainly due to opponents keying on the weak run defense, and the offense controlling the ball.
With the regular season quickly approaching, the biggest questions facing the defense are whether they can get better at stopping the run and whether they can make up for their leading pass rusher. Those questions are most acutely focussed on the RDE position.
Rather than investing an early round draft pick or making a big splash via trade or free agency, the Commanders opted for a low key approach at Edge Defender (ED), with three low-cost FAs brought in to compete with four returning vets.
Since right edge is the biggest area for improvement on defense, the competition for the starting and rotational ED roles could be the most impactful position battle in camp. Here is my take on the key players and what positions are up for grabs.
Position Locks
One returning player and two free agent additions would appear to have locks on specific roles in the Commanders’ DL.
Starting Left Defensive End - Dorance Armstrong Jr
6’ 4” | 255 lbs | RAS 5.89 | Age: 28 | Exp: 7 yrs | 2025 cap: $10.2M
2024 Stats: 18 starts | 747 def snaps | 29 tkl/9 asst | 33 stops | 10 TFL | 3 FF | 25.5% miss | 51 press | 8.5 sk
2024 Run Stop Rate: 6.6% | Pressure Rate: 11.3%
Armstrong was better than a lot of fans seem to appreciate last season. He was third on the team in total sacks, and led the team in QB pressures. He was also fourth on the team and led the EDs in defensive stops. His Pressure Rate in the pass rush was slightly below median for starting EDs, and his Run Stop Rate was above average.
Barring a surprise breakout from someone else, Armstrong has no serious challenger for the starting LDE role in camp.
Don't forget Dorance Armstrong had 2 sacks against the Lions One causing a forced fumble in the red zone. #RaiseHail pic.twitter.com/k5GFKfSP3r
— Wizskins (@Itswizskins) March 15, 2025
Situational Pass Rusher - Von Miller
6’ 3” | 250 lbs | RAS 9.97 | Age: 36 | Exp: 13 yrs | 2025 cap: $6.1M+
2024 Stats: 0 starts | 332 def snaps | 9 tkl/2 asst | 13 stops | 7 TFL | 21.4% miss | 40 press | 6 sk
2024 Run Stop Rate: 8.7% | Pressure Rate: 16.1%
Miller was a great late offseason addition to fill the void left by Dante Fowler’s departure. The seven-time All-Pro and HOF All-2010’s team ED has seen a reduction in playing time in his third decade, but continues to produce at a high level when he’s on the field. Miller knew Adam Peters from his time in Denver, and was attracted by the opportunity to join Dan Quinn and Jayden Daniels on a championship contender. What a difference new ownership has made!
Miller’s 16.1% Pressure Rate in the pass rush would have ranked 9th among starting EDs in 2024. if he had played full time, and put him well above Fowler at 12.9%. Miller has also been great at stopping the run on the edge throughout his career. His Run Stop Rate in 2024 was well above any of the Commanders’ EDs (actually any DL but Carl Davis), and would have been good for 17th among starting EDs.
If he can continue playing at that level for another season, or even just falls off a littel, Miller should be a significant upgrade to the Commanders’ edge defense in both phases. No one in camp is close to his 2024 numbers, other than snap counts.
Right DT - Javon Kinlaw
6’ 5” | 319 lbs | Age: 27 | Exp: 6 yrs | 2025 contract: 3 years, $15M APY
2024 Stats: 17 starts | 695 def snaps | 27 tkl/7 asst | 24 stops | 5 TFL | 2 FF | 15.0% miss | 30 press | 5 sk
2024 Run Stop Rate: 6.4% | Pressure Rate: 7.5%
Kinlaw was Adam Peters’ biggest free agent acquisition to date in Washington. Barring some unforeseen development, he will start at right DT, in rotation with Johnny Newton. The question for this article is how much he will play at edge.
Dan Quinn likes to move players around the defensive front. In 2024 Daron Payne split out to 5-tech on the left side on around 35% of snaps, and took 7% of snaps further wide at a true edge alignment. Kinlaw experienced an uptick in production in the last two seasons as the 49ers and Jets increased his snaps at DE. He has slimmed down this offseason, and early reports from camp are that he’s looking explosive.
It will be interesting to see how Joe Whitt uses him, and what that might mean for the rest of RDE rotation.
Javon Kinlaw still has the physical ability to demolish blockers as a pass-rusher and as a run defender. If there's one guy in the NFL who can bring out all the potential and put it on the field, it's Dan Quinn. pic.twitter.com/wk28ifEcEd
— Doug Farrar ✍ (@NFL_DougFarrar) May 22, 2025
The Competition for Starting RDE
Dan Quinn is a major proponent of competition. Last season the RDE position was the weakest spot on the Commanders’ DL. It was initially manned by a low cost free agent, brought over from the GM’s previous team. Clelin Ferrell has been a bottom tier starting DE for the past three years. In 2024, his underperformance was compounded by injury. He missed four games and was relieved by Dante Fowler, who left in free agency.
The Commanders brought in two new free agents, in addition to Von Miller, who will compete with Ferrell and returning players Javontae Jean-Baptiste and Jalyn Holmes for playing time at RDE. Let’s see how the competitors stack up.
RDE Clelin Ferrell
6’ 4” | 265 lbs | Age: 28 | Exp: 7 yrs | 2025 cap: $1.88M
2024 Stats: 10 starts | 443 def snaps | 17 tkl/9 asst | 13 stops | 4 TFL | 1 FF | 16.1% miss | 19 press | 3 sk
2024 Run Stop Rate: 4.7% | Pressure Rate: 9.0%
Ferrell was brought in by Adam Peters from San Francisco on a cheap, one year contract last offseason to fill the gap at RDE. The former Raiders’ first round pick peaked as league average starter from 2020 to 2021, and has performed below average at his position throughout the rest of his 6 year career.
His 2024 Run Stop Rate placed him in the bottom quartile of NFL starters and was the lowest of the Commanders’ starting EDs and main rotational players. His pass rush Pressure Rate and sack production were also in the bottom quartile of starters.
Ferrell is the man to beat for the starting RDE position. If it’s truly an open competition, he might be competing for a rotational role.
Clelin Ferrell beats Taylor Decker (LT) hard inside. Gibbs makes him miss in the backfield while still reading out the frontside and keeping his balance, then beats Jeremy Chinn (11) to the corner.
— Benjamin Solak (@BenjaminSolak) January 19, 2025
Absolutely preposterous play. https://t.co/Ik1eGp2cpx pic.twitter.com/rH6Umr0oNb
DE Javontae Jean-Baptiste
6’ 5” | 260 lbs | RAS 9.18 | Age: 25 | Exp: 1 yr | 2025 cap: $990K
2024 Stats: 1 start | 248 def snaps | 11 tkl/6 asst | 9 stops | 1 TFL | 10.5% miss | 7 press | 1 sk
2024 Run Stop Rate: 5.4% | Pressure Rate: 5.6%
Despite missing five games on IR, JJB exceeded expectations for a seventh round draft pick by getting on the field for 248 defensive snaps across 15 games. In fact, he logged the third most playing time of any Day 3/UDFA rookie ED. He and Bengals’ 6th round pick Cedric Johnson were the only rookie EDs picked after the 5th round to register sacks.
Jean-Baptiste is the most athletic ED on Washington’s roster. Heading into the draft, he profiled as a developmental project with high upside due to his length and athletic gifts. His production as a rookie was modest. But the coaching staff has praised his development this offseason.
At 6’5”, with 33 3/4” arms, Jean-Baptiste has ideal length for the position. There is some controversy about his weight. His 239 lb combine measurement appears to have been depressed by a bout of food poisoning. The Commanders’ official roster lists him at 260 lbs.
JJB is the biggest unknown in the ED competition, because it is hard to predict a late round player’s development. As a drafted player, he will be given every chance to succeed. If he establishes a long term role as a regular contributor in the DE rotation, he will have exceeded expectations of his draft status. Anything beyond that is a bonus. The questions for camp are how much improvement we can expect this season and how far up the depth chart he can climb in his second NFL season.
NFL sack No. 1 for former Notre Dame DE Javontae Jean-Baptiste. pic.twitter.com/zFkWTQhVhF
— Jack Soble (@jacksoble56) September 24, 2024
DE Deatrich Wise
6’ 5” | 271 lbs | RAS 8.18 | Age: 31 | Exp: 8 yrs | 2025 cap: $3.16M
2024 Stats: 5 starts | 409 def snaps | 11 tkl/9 asst | 11 stops | 5 TFL | 9.1% miss | 20 press | 5 sk | 3 PD
2024 Run Stop Rate: 4.3% | Pressure Rate: 7.4%
Based on the poll results in my EDs roundup, Deatrich Wise is the readers’ favorite to unseat Ferrell at starting RDE.
Wise is a versatile lineman, who split time between 3-tech, 5-tech and outside the tackle edge alignments in 8 seasons with the Patriots. He has been a quality run stopper at times, but aside from a spike in 2019, he has never been very productive in the pass rush. The real concern with Wise is that his productivity in both phases has declined over the past three seasons.
Wise is a bigger body who can play on power running downs. But unless he can recover his early career form, it is not clear if he will be an improvement over Clelin Ferrell this season. On the other hand, Dan Quinn is pretty good at getting the best out of defensive players. Even so, the competition between Wise and Ferrell for the starting RDE role might be closer than many expect.
The @Commanders got themselves a sneaky-good inside/outside disruptor in Deatrich Wise Jr. Dan Quinn tends to feast with guys like these, going back to his LOB days. pic.twitter.com/4LJBQ5z0wN
— Doug Farrar ✍ (@NFL_DougFarrar) March 14, 2025
DE Jalyn Holmes
6’ 5” | 283 lbs | RAS 6.82 | Age: 29 | Exp: 7 yrs | 2025 cap: $1.2M
2024 Stats: 1 start | 337 def snaps (234 WAS/103 NYJ) | 13 tkl/7 asst | 13 stops | 6 TFL | 13.0% miss | 14 press | 2 sk
2024 Run Stop Rate: 6.2% | Pressure Rate: 9.4%
Virginia native, Jalyn Holmes was the least known or understood regular contributor on the Commanders’ defense last season. That is likely because he was acquired in Week 7 to bolster the DL after JJB and Jonathan Allen were injured against the Ravens. The Commanders were lucky to pick him up after he was released by the Jets in Week 6.
One point of confusion about Holmes is that he is listed on the official roster as a DT. But the Commanders played him predominantly at ED, with fewer than 10% of defensive snaps taken inside the tackles.
Holmes was a solid rotational ED for the Commanders. He was better against the run than rushing the passer, as he has been in limited playing opportunities throughout his career. Holmes is likely competing for a rotational role with JJB and Jacob Martin, with greatest value on rushing downs. But truth be told, his 2024 stats were not that far behind the contenders for the starting position.
DE Jacob Martin
6’ 2” | 242 lbs | RAS 8.3 | Age: 29 | Exp: 7 yrs | 2025 cap: $2.4M
2024 Stats: 0 starts | 222 def snaps | 9 tkl/2 asst | 11 stops | 3 TFL | 15.4% miss | 17 press | 3 sk | 1 PD
2024 Run Stop Rate: 9.3% | Pressure Rate: 13.5%
Martin was signed in the first wave of free agency as inexpensive option to fill the vacancy left by Dante Fowler. Martin is a journeyman who has spent time with six NFL teams after being drafted in the 6th round in 2018. He has 15 career starts to his name, 14 of which were in 2021.
Martin’s 2024 pass rush production stats fell short of Dante Fowler’s, but Fowler got nearly three times more playing time. Adjusting for differences in snap counts reveals that Martin actually pressured the passer and stopped the run at higher rates than Fowler (Pressure Rate: 13.5% vs 12.9%; Run Stop Rate: 9.8% vs 5.8%) . Martin’s 2024 Run Stop Rate might be an anomaly due to small sample size – he has never been a strong run defender - but his pass rush productivity was consistent with recent seasons. Martin’s rate of sack production would have put him at 8.5 sacks for the season, if he had played as much as Fowler.
The recent signing of Von Miller creates a significant challenge for Martin to earn playing time in the ED rotation. However, he has also been a major special teams contributor throughout his career, which provides another avenue for him to gain a foothold on the game day roster.
Longshots
A few other players in camp could work their ways into the camp battle at ED. But they would have to be considered longshots.
Andre Jones Jr.
6’ 5” | 258 lbs | Age: 26 | Exp: 2 yrs | 2025 cap: $960K
Career Stats: 16 G | 2 starts | 188 def snaps | 3 tkl/2 asst | 2 stops | 16.7% miss | 6 press
Jones was a seventh round draft pick by Ron Rivera in 2023. He played 17 snaps in two games last season.
Norell Pollard
6’ 1” | 260 lbs | RAS 7.61 | Age: 25 | Exp: 0 yrs | 2025 cap: $842K
No Career Stats
Pollard was a surprisingly productive, undersized interior pass rusher with the VA Tech Hokies, who signed as a UDFA last season. He spent his first NFL season on IR. He is listed as a DE on the Commanders’ official roster.
T.J. Maguranyanga
6’ 4” | 223 lbs | Age: 25 | Exp: 0 yrs | 2025 cap: $842K
No Career Stats
Maguranyanga signed as a DE with the Commanders in April through the NFL’s International Player Pathway program. He is from Zimbabwe and played professionally in the French rugby union league. I have listed his rugby playing weight, which is light, because rugby players run continuously for 80 minutes. He will have to bulk up for the NFL, and learn American football. In addition to playing on defense, he might be able to run with the ball, punt and place kick in a pinch, since those skills are standard in rugby union.
Recap
In the second season of the rebuild, some position groups have seen major personnel investments and complete overhauls, while others remain works in progress. The DL is a mixed bag, with the right edge still being manned by a ragtag band of misfits.
The addition of ageless wonder Von Miller should offset at least some of Dante Fowler’s lost pass rush production. How the Commanders will shore up the run defense on the right edge remains to be seen. With five main competitors for three or four open positions in the ED rotation, it will be exciting to see whether Adam Peters has unearthed any more hidden gems. If not, it will be up to Joe Whitt Jr to scheme around the personnel weakness at RDE for another season.
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