The Washington Commanders will enter the 2026 season with new looks all around. Most of the aging core of the team that made the 2024 NFC Championship game has been broken up and replaced with youth, speed, and no shortage of points to prove.
That especially applies on the defensive side of the ball.
New coordinator Daronte Jones is expected to institute a linebacker-heavy 3-4 scheme, and it all starts with No. 7 overall pick Sonny Styles. The Ohio State product is an off-ball savant renowned for his versatility and football IQ as he steps into his role as Washington's quarterback.
Styles has also wasted no time asserting himself as a leader off the field. And his latest words should excite every Commanders fan.
Sonny Styles believes Commanders defense will be fun to watch next season
If you've watched either of the past two Super Bowls, you'd know they were won by defenses that absolutely flew around the field. After offensive innovation drove championship success for most of the 2010s and early 2020s, it seems like the old "defense wins championships" adage applies once again.
For Washington, it's been a long time since this franchise had a defense feared the way the Seattle Seahawks are today. But their newest franchise cornerstone is determined to ensure it happens sooner rather than later.
Sonny Styles on #Commanders defense:
— NBC4 Sports (@NBC4Sports) June 16, 2026
"If you like to run, hit, play fast...it's the perfect defense for you"
Styles on his personality:
"I just have fun with the game, talk a little crap, have fun, laugh, smile but I'm still super focused"@JPFinlayNBCS #RaiseHail pic.twitter.com/q4bXvkOG7c
Running, hitting, and playing fast. The Commanders did none of those things last year. Out of their two second-team All-Pro linebackers from 2024, Father Time administered cruel and unusual punishment on Bobby Wagner, while Frankie Luvu was a non-factor after spending a lot of time on the edge.
Add to that both starting edge rushers being lost for the season and the disaster that was the defensive backfield, and that's how you rank dead-last in the league in yards allowed. Coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. was demoted midseason and ultimately fired from the team, paving the way for Jones to bring a more modern spice to his unit.
With new additions such as Styles, Odafe Oweh, K'Lavon Chaisson, Leon Chenal, and Nick Cross, the Commanders' defense should be moving from sideline to sideline with much more efficiency than it did a season ago. And in the top-10 pick's words, they're going to have some fun out there.
Exciting times are ahead for Washington. And if the team is going to make a run at returning to the playoffs this season, it will all center around the growth on the defensive side of the ball.
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