We have talked ad nauseam about the Washington Commanders surrounding quarterback Jayden Daniels with the necessary talent for him to be able to remove the Superman cape heading into Year 3. That discussion certainly hit an all-time high when it was first reported that general manager Adam Peters had signed veteran wide receiver Stefon Diggs.
Everyone, from the multitude of content creators on social media to Major Tuddy, was overcome with jubilation. Even FOX Sports’ Skip Bayless was kind enough to chime in:
Now that we can all sleep easy heading into the season knowing Terry McLaurin has his first real running mate since being drafted by Washington in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft, the focus will shift to how David Blough will incorporate all of his new offensive toys on Sept. 13 versus the Eagles.
With this new-found jubilation over the offensive weapons Daniels now has at his disposal and the hole that remains at center and to a lesser degree, left guard, all the focus seems to be on the offensive side of the ball. It’s easy to forget about the biggest area of improvement needed for this football team.
DEFENSE!
The stats below from the 2025 season are courtesy of CommandersWire, written by my friend Ivan Lambert: Revealing some brutal statistics from Commanders’ 2025 defense
- “They were 32nd in most every statistic that matters, or at least bottom five in every defensive statistic that matters. Yards per play, yards per pass, EPA (Explosive Plays Allowed), etc.”
- “Dead last in yards per drive allowed, dead last in 3 & outs forced, 31st in turnovers per drive forced”
- “When teams reached the Red Zone, the Commanders defense allowed a touchdown 68 percent of those drives, which was second worst.”
- “They were the only defense in the NFL to allow over 35 percent of drives to reach the red zone and over 67 percent of those to score touchdowns. They were the only defense in the last five years to allow that combination.”
- “The defense allowed 101 points scored in the first quarter last year, which was the fifth most in the NFL.”
- “Therefore, they trailed by a combined 64 points after the first quarter last season, which was second worst in the NFL.”
- “The defense allowed opponents’ opening drives of games to average 49 yards, worst in the NFL last year. Even more, it was the worst of any Washington defense this century (26 seasons). It was the 13th worst of any defense this century.”
- “Of the 17 opening drives last season, the Commanders defense forced only three punts. It was the worst of any Washington defense this century, and the worst of any NFL defense this century.”
These really are some BRUTAL stats to read!
2026 Defense
Adam Peters and Dan Quinn were adamant on turning this defense around. When free agency opened, Peters aggressively attacked the defensive side of the ball signing the following players:
- Odafe Oweh (EDGE)
- K’Lavon Chaisson (EDGE)
- Leo Chenal (linebacker)
- Nick Cross (safety)
- Amik Robertson (corner)
- Tim Settle (DT)
- Charles Omenihu (DT/DE)
All seven of these new additions made the 53-man roster and are expected to be starters or contribute heavily to the rotation.
Just a few months later, Peters would double-down in the 2026 NFL Draft where he used two of the team’s first three picks on defense:
- Sonny Styles (Round 1, pick 7)
- Joshua Josephs (Round 5, pick 147)
Styles and Josephs are on the 53-man roster and both are expected to be significant contributors in 2026, with Styles as a starting inside linebacker and Josephs part of the two-deep at EDGE.
After the draft, Adam signed veteran Rasul Douglas to add depth to the cornerback room. The 31-year-old corner started 13 games for the Dolphins in 2025, posting 13 passes defended and two interceptions.
During training camp, when Trey Amos suffered an ankle sprain shortly after returning to action, Peters signed veteran Fabian Moreau for depth.
Both Moreau and Douglas are in the 53-man roster and are expected to be contributors this season.
A complete defensive turnover
Washington’s 2025 roster after Thanksgiving
EDGE: Von Miller
DT: Daron Payne
DT: Javon Kinlaw
EDGE: Jacob Martin
LB: Bobby Wagner
LB: Frankie Luvu
CB: Mike Sainristil
CB: Jonathan Jones
Slot CB: Noah Igbinoghene
S: Will Harris/Jeremy Reaves
S: Quan Martin
Not only was this group old, but they were also slow and not at all in sync with one another, especially on the back end. The Commanders’ defensive line struggled to get off blocks and generate pressure. The linebackers were incapable of getting to outside runs and were a major liability in the passing game. The defensive backs were the worst statistical group in the league against the pass, and the number of missed tackles in run support was mind-blowing.
To put it mildly, and backed up by Ivan’s stats above, this defense was a complete embarrassment.
Fast Forward to Sept. 2026
More than half of the defense has completely turned over. Gone are Von Miller (who was once a great player in this league) and Jacob Martin. They are being replaced by uber-athletic edge rushers in Oweh and Chaisson. Dorance Armstrong, who was a starter last year before being injured, should slot into a rotational role along with rookie Joshua Joseph once he returns from his one-game suspension.
The interior has been bolstered by the additions of Tim Settle and Charles Omehihu to go along with Payne and Kinlaw. Both are scheme/technique diverse and can be moved around the front five.
Washington’s linebacker corps has been completely revamped. Styles takes over for the aging Bobby Wagner – who was a liability anywhere outside the A and B gaps and in coverage. He offers the ability to impact all three levels of this defense and will share green dot responsibilities with veteran Frankie Luvu. Speaking of Luvu, he came into camp in the best shape of his career and is looking to regain his 2024 form after being played out of position for the majority of 2025. Leo Chenal is the new free-agent addition, and his versatility and toughness against the run and as a situational pass rusher as a walked-up SAM will be a welcome addition to this defense.
The Commanders defensive backs have taken on a completely new identity. Safety Nick Cross will be the leader of the secondary. His presence on the defense will force offensive coordinators to monitor his alignment on every play. Jeremy Reaves and Quan Martin (who had a very good training camp), will both see time in Jones’ three safety looks and Tyler Owens seems to have carved out a role as a “positionless player” who can be deployed at all three levels. Sainristil and Robertson can move between the inside and outside with Douglas and Moreau adding the veteran presences until Trey Amos returns.
At kickoff on Sunday afternoon in Philly, there could be up to eight new starters on this 2026 defense. That is what we call addition by subtraction!
Scheme is king
I have talked a lot about the players on this defense, but the biggest key to success this season may be the new scheme implemented by new defensive coordinator Daronte Jones.
For those who aren’t familiar with Jones’ background, here is a quick snapshot of his rise to an NFL coach:
- Played collegiately at Temple/Morgan State before a neck injury prematurely ended his football career.
- Began his coaching career while he was still on scholarship at Morgan State helping out with the defensive backs.
- Lenoir-Rhyne – Grad Assistant
- Nicholls State – safeties coach
- Spent two years as a high school defensive coordinator in Louisiana
- Spent five years as an assistant head coach/defensive coordinator at DII Bowie St.
- UCLA – cornerbacks
- Montreal Alouettes – defensive backs coach
- Hawaii – assistant HC/secondary coach
- Wisconsin – defensive backs
- Dolphins – assistant defensive backs coach
- Bengals – cornerbacks coach
- Vikings – defensive backs coach
- LSU – defensive coordinator
- Vikings – defensive backs coach/pass game coordinator
- Commanders – defensive coordinator
As you can see from the above, Jones has a very extensive and diverse coaching resume. He has held positions from high school all the way up to the NFL, with stops at almost every level in between.
What stands out about Jones in various interviews I have read is his teaching background. While in his high school coaching roles in Louisiana, he was also a teacher in the districts. He credits these dual roles as something that has helped him adapt to different learning styles as a coach. His defense may be multiple, but the way he installs it makes it easy for players to grasp the concepts. His ability to relate to his players is something he ties back to his time in education.
Being “Multiple”
At the end of July, I wrote this article on Washington being multiple on both sides of the ball. This is what I had to say about Jones’ defense.
With a heavy zone-coverage scheme being implemented by defensive coordinator Daronte Jones this season, head coach Dan Quinn spoke about the ability to be “multiple” on the defensive side:
Every good defense that plays zone, you better have a pass rush in order to do that because there is not the leverage, so the quarterback has to feel like he’s getting affected.
Quinn emphasized that he wants to see different personnel groups who can do this during camp.
The Commanders defense under Joe Whitt was anything but “multiple.” Instead, it turned out to be incredibly predictable. In the NFL world, predictability is the impediment to progress.
Under Jones, the defense is said to be “multiple.” What does that mean in this instance?
This new look should feature a 3-4 UNDER base look. The UNDER aspect means the nose tackle shifts to the weak side and a SAM linebacker (strong side), is usually in a stand-up position as the EMOLS (end man on the line of scrimmage).
The fun part about this defense being “multiple” is that you don’t know exactly where the rush will come from and what player(s) could get home. You may see certain guys coming from different areas of the formation, while others may show a certain look but drop back into coverage. All three levels of this defense have the ability to be “multiple” when it comes to getting after the head of the snake, and the athletes Washington now has will make that job a lot easier.
Being “multiple” is just as important on the back end, as disguising coverages is an integral part of a successful scheme.
We are expecting to see a lot of three-safety looks, with one of those guys being a hybrid linebacker type. The hybrid player can rush, drop or rob, which can help dictate to an offense instead of having the offense dictate to the defense (which we saw all too often last season).
In sets where there is a more traditional slot corner being used, that player can also create confusion with disguised coverages that are meant to look like man, but turn out to be a cloud zone. Having guys with inside/outside versatility certainly help to make this job easier.
These new defensive additions, along with a new scheme from Jones, should make for a very different defense than what we saw in 2025.
Commanders defense will be the key to 2026 success
As I mentioned earlier, the maturation of quarterback Jayden Daniels and the state of Washington’s offensive line has dominated the news over the last month. There seem to be far more questions than answers on offense. Can Terry McLaurin return to his 2024 form after an injury-riddled 2025? Will Stefon Diggs give Washington its first true number two receiving weapon since McLaurin was drafted here? Can Bill and Rshaad White form a good one-two punch in the backfield? Will Washington be able to overcome the injury to Laremy Tunsil and patch together a competent offensive line?
My focus, however, has remained on this new defense.
No one wants to see Jayden Daniels put on his Superman cape week after weeks and try to pull this team to victory. Fans would much rather a controlled offense where Washington dictates what they do to the opposition. This is where a sound defense comes into play.
Being able to stop teams from entering the redzone with frequency, which you saw in the stats above, will allow the team to not have to constantly play from behind. Last year, Washington allowed 26.5 points per game which was the sixth worst in the league. During the 2025 season, there were 10 teams who allowed under 21 points per game. Two of those teams (Patriots and Seahawks) played in the Super Bowl. Eight of those 10 teams made the playoffs and all but the Chiefs had a winning record.
There has been a strong desire all offseason to run the football more. It’s tough for a team to run the ball when they are down by multiple scores – especially when the game enters the second half. Having a strong defense that keeps teams from putting touchdowns on the board will help open up the playbook for David Blough and allow the offense to become less predictable and much more “multiple”.
It’s often been said while offense sells tickets, defense wins championships. I don’t know if the 2026 Commanders will win a championship anytime soon, but getting this defense turned around would be a very good start to getting the franchise back to consistent respectability.
If Washington makes the playoffs this year, it will be because of the defense – with a little bit of Jayden Daniels sprinkled in.
