General manager Adam Peters worked tirelessly to improve the defensive options this offseason. The Washington Commanders had no other choice after how things unfolded during the previous campaign, with the front-office leader prioritizing this floundering unit both in free agency and the 2026 NFL Draft.
Things are now looking up, and fans are hopeful the required on-field improvements can arrive. However, that was not an opinion shared by one NFL analyst, who was less enthused about Washington's defensive regeneration.
And looking a little closer, the concerns raised were pretty valid.
Commanders' defensive expectations met with skepticism from NFL analyst
Gary Davenport of The Bleacher Report placed the Commanders' defense at No. 30 in his post-draft rankings, with only the Miami Dolphins and Arizona Cardinals below them. While he acknowledged the acquisitions, he also pointed out some real unknowns. And just because Peters brought a plethora of fresh faces to the franchise, they still have to mesh together.
"It's difficult to imagine that defense being markedly better in 2026. Questions remain at all three levels of the defense. [Odafe] Oweh and [K'Lavon] Chaisson have one 10-sack season between them. [Sonny] Styles is wildly talented but unproven. And while Amik Robertson and Ahkello Witherspoon were signed in free agency, the cornerback corps is shaky on a good day.
"The Commanders may be better defensively in 2026. But that doesn't make them good."
There is still a lot to prove. The Commanders may be one of the offseason's biggest winners, but that will count for nothing if the defense cannot perform better when it counts. That is the challenge facing new defensive coordinator Daronte Jones, who promised to make this unit more aggressive and creative under his leadership.
The Commanders got younger. They got more dynamic. They got more energetic. And they also have an innovative defensive play-caller who can bring the diverse system needed for their players to flourish.
It might not work, but the Commanders had to try.
Peters believes the pieces are slowly coming together. There are still concerns in the defensive secondary, but the front seven should be a force. There is the right blend of youth and experience now, rather than an overreliance on aging veterans well past their peak. And it would be a big surprise if progress wasn't made.
What that'll look like is anyone's guess. Davenport didn't sound especially hopeful, but there is a growing belief in the building that the defensive side of things won't be a glaring weak link anymore.
Time will tell as to who gets the bragging rights.
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