How the Commanders should address linebacker position this offseason

With the exception of the still-unknown quarterback, Jamin Davis may be the most important player for the Washington Commanders in 2022. As I have recently written, missing on a first-round draft pick need not be the end of the world. But sticking with a failed first-rounder in hopes that he will live up to his initial promise compounds the problem and will prevent a team from moving forward.

The Washington Commanders have a two-tiered decision to make on Davis. First, will he ever live up to that promise, and second, if he can at least come close, which position will allow him the best opportunity to thrive.

One of the most maddening things about Ron Rivera’s tenure as Washington Commanders coach has been his inability to make any progress with the linebacking corps. Despite the fact that Rivera and his defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio were both quality professional linebackers themselves, they have allowed this one position to remain the team’s biggest dumpster fire.

It has been so bad that in each of Rivera’s two season, Washington was reduced to essentially starting a guy off the street in meaningful late-season games. In 2020, they were left with no replacement when weakside linebacker Kevin Pierre-Louis was injured, and ended up starting their playoff game with Mychal Kendricks, who had been out of football less than a month before.

Again, late in 2021, when injury and COVID combined to wreak havoc on the roster, Washington started Milo Eifler in a crucial game against Dallas, causing Commander fans everywhere to ask – “Who?” It is the only time I have ever seen a network broadcast not have a photo of the player when scrolling through the starters.

Washington’s black hole at linebacker stems from two questionable strategies. First, when Rivera arrived, he and Del Rio transitioned the defense from a 3-4 to a 4-3 front. Nothing wrong there. I actually prefer it. But they did so without having a middle linebacker in place, and they never went out and found one. In a 4-3, the Mike position is crucial. You can’t be without one.

Jon Bostic played there in 2019 and wasn’t too bad. But Bostic is a bit undersized and does not have the speed to play sideline to sideline. He is a classic 3-4 inside backer. He did his best, but often drew the ire of the fans. And the coaches clearly recognized he was not the answer, so they spent their first round draft pick in 2021 on Davis, the Kentucky product with through-the-roof measurables and a short but productive college resume.

Then they stuck him in the middle, moving Bostic to the weak side. The inexperienced Davis was clearly overwhelmed. He was constantly out of position. These repeated attempts to manufacture a middle linebacker hurt the defense in each of the last two years.

When Bostic got hurt, the other strategic decision became apparent. Washington had no backup linebacker capable of playing serious minutes on defense. The backups – Khaleke Hudson, Jared Norris, Jordan Kunaszyk – were special teamers. That’s it. None could be trusted on defense. The only legitimate defensive backup – David Mayo – was a limited defender who could play the run but was a liability in pass defense. Hence, he could only be used sparingly.

And that’s why we all learned Milo Eifler’s name.

Washington clearly needs to revamp its approach to the position. Davis’s progress – and there is some reason to be hopeful he will be much better in 2022 – is obviously a major piece of that. But even if he does take a big step forward, the Commanders need to add several more pieces to get the group anywhere close to where they need to be.

This starts with the draft. Though there may be some hesitancy to spend consecutive first-round picks on a linebacker, Washington must be considering it. If Washington does not like its quarterback options at No. 11 overall and if trading back doesn’t look promising, then there probably will be an elite linebacker available.

I suspect Devin Lloyd will be off the board at this point, but Nakobe Dean may well be available. Dean makes all the sense in the world – provided Rivera and Del Rio believe Davis can really grow into the middle linebacker position. That’s because Dean is a speedy undersized backer, ideally suited to play the weak side.

So is Brain Asamoah, who may be available in round two should the Commanders grab their QB in the first round. But again, this only makes sense if Jamin Davis can play in the middle.

If he can’t, and if the decision is to move him to the weak side, there may be better options in the second round of the draft. Chad Muma is a steady, reliable player who can line up anywhere, including the middle. He offers the flexibility that allows Davis a little more leeway.

As does Troy Anderson, the biggest question mark among the top linebackers. Anderson is a converted running back who is relatively new to the position. He played college ball at Montana State, and did not face the same level of competition as the other top prospects. Still, his productivity and measurables are off the charts and he may well have the highest ceiling of any linebacker in the draft.

If it’s me, I’m targeting Muma in the second. That’s the safest bet, and I don’t need to double down on risky moves at linebacker. But this all depends on how the coaches view Jamin Davis.

Even if the Washington Commanders draft a linebacker early, I expect them to also be active in the free agent market. Remember, this is a unit that needs a complete overhaul. They missed a golden opportunity to pick up a rock solid Mike last season when they passed on Denzell Perryman. He does not seem to fit the profile of the speedy, athletic players they like. He just patrols the middle of the field and makes tackles – enough to land him in his first Pro Bowl as a member of the Raiders in 2021.

There are several classic middle backers coming into free agency, but the two best – Denver’s A.J. Johnson and New England’s Dont’a Hightower, are both past 30 and will get high salaries. I don’t expect Washington to show interest. There are a couple of lower-priced options who could essentially replicate, and perhaps improve on what Jon Bostic offered in 2019. Both Anthony Walker Jr, and Elandon Roberts are better suited to playing inside in 3-4 fronts, but both can probably make the transition to playing the middle.

Again, if the team feels confident with Davis in the middle, I would prefer a classic off ball linebacker like Las Vegas’ Nicholas Morrow, who missed all of 2021 with an ankle injury but should be back at full strength in 2022.

I would not expect the Commanders to go after high-priced options like Tennessee’s Harold Landry or Carolina’s Hassan Reddick, who are both excellent pass rushers. Though you always want quality pass rushers, that’s not really what the Washington Commanders need right now.

The Washington Commanders need steady, quality linebackers who are not limited to one role, or to special teams. Right now, they have Cole Holcomb and a big question mark in Jamin Davis. For 2022, they need to answer that question, and then continue building around whatever that answer may be.