Even with the complete turnaround that led the Washington Commanders to a 12-5 record and a trip to the NFC Championship, there are still several holes on the roster. These flaws cannot continue next time around.
Adam Peters and the front office will have the next several months to improve the roster in every way possible. Whether that be with trades, free agent acquisitions, or draft selections, the holes must be addressed in order to keep the Commanders as genuine Super Bowl contenders.
Let's take a look at the five weakest depth chart positions that Peters must address in the 2025 offseason.
Weakest Commanders position groups heading into 2025 offseason
Commanders edge rushers
The Washington Commanders did not invest much into the edge rusher position, and it showed in games. Dan Quinn was able to get the most he could out of guys like Dante Fowler Jr. — who had 10.5 sacks on the season — Clelin Ferrell and Dorance Armstrong Jr. The experienced head coach even used dynamic linebacker Frankie Luvu off the edge in certain defensive packages.
Washington ranked 14th league-wide in pressure percentage with 22.6, which does not seem too bad. That is more middle of the pack. However, the Commanders also had the fifth-highest blitz percentage in the league at 31.5.
The Commanders are the only team in the top five for blitz percentage that is not in the top 10 of pressure percentage teams.
Having a star edge rusher will allow the Commanders' defensive line to consistently generate pressure, which will make life a lot easier for the secondary. Too often quarterbacks were able to just sit in the pocket and wait for a man to get open past the sticks against Washington's defense in 2024.
Peters and Quinn have several options to improve their edge rusher position. All-Pro defensive end Myles Garrett has requested a trade from the Cleveland Browns. Trading for the former No. 1 pick would be pricey, but well worth it. This would instantly make the Commanders' defensive line a formidable unit.
There are also several competent edge rushers in the free agency class. Seasoned veterans like Khalil Mack and Haason Reddick will be available as well as up-and-coming players like Josh Sweat and Malcolm Koonce. Peters could also elect to draft an edge rusher with the No. 29 overall pick, as the group is projected to be extremely deep this year.