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The Commanders’ two greatest positional strengths in 2022

By Samuel Schulman

DENVER, CO - OCTOBER 31: Charles Leno Jr. #72 of the Washington Football Team looks to block during the second half of the game against the Denver Broncos at Empower Field At Mile High on October 31, 2021 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Justin Tafoya/Getty Images)
DENVER, CO - OCTOBER 31: Charles Leno Jr. #72 of the Washington Football Team looks to block during the second half of the game against the Denver Broncos at Empower Field At Mile High on October 31, 2021 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Justin Tafoya/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
(Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) /

OFFENSIVE LINE

League Rank: 9th

I’m sure most Commanders fans would immediately cite the team’s defensive line as its greatest strength. It’s close, but the depth of the offensive line compared to the defensive line is irrefutable.

The Commanders’ tackles are pretty much exactly what you would want, in a vacuum. At left tackle, Charles Leno Jr. returns to the team on a new three-year, $37 million deal. Leno’s PFF pass blocking grade of 87.3 ranked second out of 80 qualified tackles from a year ago, trailing only Andrew Whitworth who retired this offseason. Keeping Wentz clean from the blindside will be of the utmost importance in helping out a QB who tends to hold the ball a little too long.

On the right side of the offensive line second-year breakout candidate Sam Cosmi already boasts the NFL’s 12th best run-blocking grade, according to PFF. Cornelius Lucas is an excellent depth piece who filled in nicely for Cosmi last year when he was battling injuries, and also has experience at LT which will allow him to be plugged in at either tackle spot.

Washington’s guard room took a big hit with the departure of Brandon Scherff to Jacksonville this offseason. He was a staple of the offensive line for years, but he wasn’t able to stay on the field as much as the team would have hoped for, having not played a full season since 2016. In his absence last season, Wes Schweitzer stepped up in a big way. He was graded as PFF’s ninth-best guard in 2021, and now he will be a part of a talented group of guards.

The Commanders brought in two former Ron Rivera disciples at guard this offseason with the additions of Trai Turner and Andrew Norwell. These three guards, combined with rookie Chris Paul, combine to form a very solid group of offensive guards.

The last component of an offensive line are the centers. The X-factor of this offensive line, in my opinion, is Chase Roullier. Roullier ranked fourth in PFF grading at the center position a year ago. The only problem is that he was not on the field nearly as much as the other top centers. In fact, of the top 12 PFF centers from a year ago, all of them played at least twice as many snaps as Roullier. If he can stay on the field, while maintaining his elite level of play, he could allow this offensive line to be one of the best in the league this season. The problem is he suffered a serious ankle injury which will require a lot of adjustment throughout the rest of his career.

His run blocking is off the charts, which should benefit the Commanders in short-yardage, ‘run it up the gut’, situations. When he was out, Keith Ismael and Tyler Larsen filled in. They are both still on the team but are best suited as depth pieces.

The Commanders are still bolstering the offensive line depth as of late, and seem to be making a commitment to winning in the trenches offensively.

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