Stefon Diggs gives Commanders' new offense exactly what it was missing

Getting a deal for Stefon Diggs over the line answered the biggest need for first-year Washington Commanders offensive coordinator David Blough's schemes. Namely, a true No. 2 wide receiver able to complement go-to target Terry McLaurin, thanks to a skill set more suited to the core concepts being implemented to freshen up a predictable passing game.

Those concepts involve having star quarterback Jayden Daniels throw off play action from under center. He'll need to target intermediate routes run by a roving receiver who thrives off motion and from the slot.

Fortunately, Diggs ticks all of the boxes for what the Commanders are missing. Starting with his work between the numbers.

Stefon Diggs guarantees change-up for Commanders' perimeter-leaning pass attack

Diggs is prolific getting open across the middle of the field. A skill he translated into "284 receiving yards on crossing routes during the 2025 season, 2nd-most in the NFL, per Next Gen Stats. Only Jameson Williams had more (357)," according to NFL Researcher.

A great example of Diggs turning a crosser into gold was this grab against the Baltimore Ravens.

The 32-year-old was lined up outside on the play, albeit in a reduced split, condensed closer to the line of scrimmage. Getting free from the inside is another element Diggs brings to an offense starved for success from the slot.

Last season's Commanders posted the "#4 highest WR error in the slot," while Diggs tallied the "#5 highest slot target %," per Warren Sharp of Sharp Football Analysis. The disparity suggests that Diggs is adding something different to the playbook.

Kliff Kingsbury didn't indulge a prolific slot receiver. He preferred to put a primary big-play threat like McLaurin outside the numbers to attack coverage, generally in straight lines.

Diggs will be more unpredictable, both pre- and post-snap. The four-time Pro Bowler "finished eighth in receiving yards on motion plays (very David Blough)," per The Full Command Show.

Movement is just one of the ways Blough intends to manipulate defenses, and Diggs is also key to the other two.

Stefon Diggs is fundamental to Commanders' big-to-small scheme shift

Blough's putting Daniels under center to expand the play-action passing game after the signal-caller threw just 46 times off play action during Kingsbury's tenure as offensive coordinator. More play-action opportunities can be created by the powerful running back committee assembled this offseason, but Diggs is also vital to making the schematic shift work.

Diggs will serve as the reward for play-action attempts because of his efficiency moving the sticks. Locked On Commanders host David Harrison aptly explained how:

"In the 2025 regular season, on first downs, Diggs caught 31 of 33 targets for 400 yards, at 12.9 yards per reception. With zero drops. This opens the door for David Blough to use early-down play-action, stay ahead of the chains, and get Jayden Daniels easy completions without making the offense overly reliant on checkdowns by using Diggs behind linebackers or in displaced coverage."

One of the main reasons for having Daniels operate the play-action game is to create easier reads and quicker throws. Most of those more rapid throws will naturally travel into underneath areas.

It's a more efficient way for Daniels to attack coverage than waiting for the vertical patterns Kingsbury loved. This is an important change for a dual-threat signal-caller who hasn't always had the patience to trust the pocket, wait for routes to develop, and resist the urge to run.

Daniels WILL run less with Diggs on the field because the seven-time 1,000-yard receiver is one of the league's most active quick-hitters. Harrison detailed how Diggs has successfully made the short game a feature of his approach as part of a smart devolution from being a deep threat that's helped prolong his healthy production:

"In 2023, Reception Perception found that nearly half of Stefon Diggs' charted routes were screens, slants, and curls. Houston moved him into a more complimentary slot heavy role in 2024 and his strongest route results were corners, outs, comebacks, flats, slants, and screens. So you see that evolution from becoming a downfield No. 1 threat to becoming that kind of complimentary role player, right? His leverage manipulation, his route pacing, all remained useful even after his athletic decline really started, and in 2025, 101 of his 120 targets with the Patriots came between zero and 19 yards."

Downsizing has worked for Diggs, and the Commanders initiated the same transition when they replaced Kingsbury with Blough. Diggs' talent for winning in short areas will be invaluable at the part of the field where the Commanders struggled mightily last season.

Commanders finally have credible target in scoring areas

The red zone wasn't kind to Washington's passing game in 2025, but Diggs put some of his best plays on film in the scoring area. He snagged nine catches from 12 targets inside the 20-yard line, including five from seven with 10 yards or less before the end zone.

Diggs' red-zone supremacy was perfectly illustrated by this contested grab in traffic against former team the Houston Texans in the playoffs.

Use of short motion and a throw inside the numbers is the same combination the Commanders can now lean on heavily with Diggs in the lineup. He'll do the things McLaurin doesn't, while also taking coverage away from the player among Daniels' targets still most likely to take the top off coverage.

McLaurin will remain the finisher, but Diggs will be the engine of Blough's more nuanced and QB-friendly passing game.

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