Percy Butler - Commanders S
The Washington Commanders had an interesting safety dynamic heading into the offseason. This unit vastly underperformed in the previous campaign, and aside from signing tone-setter Nick Cross in free agency, nothing was done to improve the group.
Daronte Jones was the primary reason why.
Washington's new defensive coordinator has an accomplished record with the secondary throughout his coaching career. Those in power believe he could get a better tune out of those who greatly underperformed last season, and the early signs this summer suggest they might be right.
Not everyone managed to take a step forward.
Veteran Will Harris' struggles were well documented. He looked a yard off the pace, and a disastrous preseason outing against the Detroit Lions was enough to pull the plug on this experiment.
This also meant Percy Butler once again found his name on the 53-man roster. It's been a rollercoaster NFL journey since being drafted by Washington in 2022. He looked down and out once upon a time, but the current regime values him highly as a special-teams presence.
That was reflected in Butler getting a new one-year deal ahead of time last offseason. But in a contract year, significant improvements are needed to justify another financial commitment.
Kain Medrano - Commanders LB
A big summer awaited Kain Medrano. The second-year linebacker made the team in Year 1 of his professional career but practically redshirted the campaign, failing to earn defensive snaps while also being used sparingly on special teams.
This meant Medrano was an unknown quantity. And when the Commanders prioritized linebacker reinforcements, his future aspirations only grew murkier.
New coordinator Daronte Jones quickly declared that Frankie Luvu was moving back to his off-ball role after spending too much time on the edge in 2025. The Commanders signed Leo Chenal in free agency, whose explosiveness, instincts, and athleticism should give a fresh injection of energy to the defensive second level.
If that wasn't enough, the Commanders also spent the No. 7 overall selection in the 20026 NFL Draft on Sonny Styles, who could be a franchise cornerstone on defense. Jordan Magee's place wasn't under real threat as a depth piece, so Medrano had a real fight to stay relevant.
After underwhelming in Washington's preseason finale, some believed Medrano wouldn't make the team. Adam Peters had other ideas, and he's given the former UCLA standout another go-around.
Medrano's chances of making the defensive rotation are bleak unless an injury occurs. However, with Nick Bellore opting for retirement after a 15-year playing career just before training camp, the Commanders might see the 2025 sixth-round selection as someone to fill the void.
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