The Washington Commanders had a mission this offseason: get “younger and faster.” General manager Adam Peters uttered those words in January at Washington’s season-ending press conference. Beginning in free agency, Peters followed those words with every move. The end result was a completely revamped defense, especially at edge rusher.
Many of those defensive changes were up front. The Commanders struggled to stop the run and pass last season, got no pressure on opposing quarterbacks, and couldn’t force turnovers. They were at or near the bottom in every major defensive statistical category.
In addition to several new defensive starters, the Commanders also have a new defensive coordinator: Daronte Jones. There are plenty of reasons to be excited about Washington’s defense, if for no other reason, they can’t be any worse.
As we continue with our positional previews, let’s look at Washington’s defensive line and edge rushers ahead of training camp.
On the roster
Edge rushers/defensive end
- Dorance Armstrong
- Odafe Oweh
- K’Lavon Chaisson
- Charles Omenihu
- Joshua Josephs
- Javontae Jean-Baptiste
- T.J. Maguranyanga
- Drake Jackson
- D.J. Johnson
- Deatrich Wise
Defensive tackle
- Daron Payne
- Tim Settle
- Javon Kinlaw
- D.J. Davidson
- Jer’Zhan Newton
- Jeffrey M’ba
- Ricky Barber
- Shy Tuttle
Daron Payne enters a contract year for the second time in his career. He was outstanding the first time, and the Commanders hope he repeats that 2022 version in 2026. Kinlaw had his moments last season, and he was much better than some give him credit for. Washington’s edge rushers should be significantly better. Armstrong was having a career year last year before tearing his ACL in Week 7. Now, he will play in a rotation.
Roster locks
- Odafe Oweh
- K’Lavon Chaisson
- Daron Payne
- Tim Settle
- Jer’Zhan Newton
- Dorance Armstrong
- Charles Omenihu
- Javon Kinlaw
Several guys are roster locks. Much of it depends on how many edge rushers and defensive tackles Washington keeps. In our early roster projections, we have 10 combined making it between the two positions. One thing is clear: the Commanders have much better depth here than they did at any time over the last two years.
Training camp battle to watch
- Who will start at defensive tackle?
We aren’t sure of a specific battle yet. For one, we aren’t 100% certain of the type of base defense Washington will run. We’re certain that Payne will start. Kinlaw will be featured heavily, too. And the Commanders didn’t sign Settle to a three-year deal to be a full-time backup. There’s also Newton. This position isn’t getting much attention right now, but there should be some intriguing battles this summer.
One burning question
- Will this be Newton’s breakout year?
There are several questions we could ask here. We know Oweh, Chaisson, Armstrong and Omenihu will play a lot on the edges. Newton will get plenty of playing time, too, but it will be fascinating to see how the Commanders employ him in Jones’ scheme. He’s more of a pass rusher than a run stopper. His performance against the Cowboys on Christmas Day had everyone excited. He just needs to string those types of performances together. The talent is there.
Outlook
It will be interesting to see how Jones employs his entire front seven. There’s no doubt the talent is better up front. Everywhere. Signing Settle was a good move, because he will singlehandedly improve the run defense. The Commanders need Payne and Kinlaw to play well. If the edge rushers are as much of an improvement as Washington thinks, the entire defense will benefit, especially the secondary. It should be a much more fun group to follow in 2026.
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Commanders 2026 training camp preview: Defensive line/edge rusher
