SerpApi.Org
Running backs and wide receivers have been all anyone can talk about going into Commanders training camp. With a healthy Jayden Daniels on the horizon, those questions will quietly fade as another rises. After giving up the fifth-most passing yards in the league, the Commanders' safeties and cornerbacks will return the top of the concern list.
Even with all the injuries from years before, players like Trey Amos, Mike Sainristil and Quan Martin all struggled to stay relevant. With only eight interceptions all year, the group failed to generate turnovers and take the game into their own hands. Facing top-tier receivers like Ja'Marr Chase, Justin Jefferson and Jaxon Smith-Njigba, as well as CeeDee Lamb and Malik Nabers twice a year, the group will need to be far more aggressive in generating takeaways if it wants to stay competitive.
"A cornerback with no pressure to put quarterbacks and receivers on a clock is doomed to give up completions, and that’s exactly what happened, not just to Sainristil, but to the entire secondary," David Harrison wrote. "But when quarterbacks consistently have time to wait for second and third opportunities to find open receivers, there’s little a defender can really do on a play-to-play basis."
New leader, new scheme
Former defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. ran his defense with a rigid, formulaic structure. Leaning primarily on 4-3 and 3-4 formations, his subpar linebacker corps and defensive line failed to generate pressure, giving quarterbacks more than enough time to let their receivers create separation from defenders.
Now with new playmakers like Nick Cross, Amik Robertson and Rasul Douglas, Adam Peters has rebuilt the secondary to benefit first-year defensive coordinator Daronte Jones. Growing up a Washington fan, Cross modeled his style of play after Sean Taylor, covering great distances across the field and using his athleticism to make a difference.
Jones came to Washington after spending the last three years in Minnesota learning under Brian Flores. Where Washington's previous defensive philosophy was stale and lackluster, Jones brings a style that incorporates constant pre-snap movement and hidden coverages. "By constantly shifting players before the snap and overloading gaps, the Vikings force offensive lines to make split-second communication adjustments, often rendering traditional blocking schemes useless," Bill Horgan wrote.
How much worse could it get?
Over the course of the 2025 season, the Commanders gave up an average passer rating of 104, a 64.8% completion percentage and 33 passing touchdowns. Ranked as the fifth-worst passing defense in 2025 by Fox Sports, Washington's secondary will quickly be put on high alert as it faces Jalen Hurts and the Eagles in Week 1.
