The Washington Commanders had a strong run in head coach Dan Quinn's first season. Now, it's time to find ways to build and improve upon a roster that went 12-5 in the regular season and advanced to the NFC Championship for the first time in over 30 years.
Over the next few weeks, Quinn and general manager Adam Peters will review their personnel to determine what moves should be made to bolster each position. Though we don't have any say in how the new front office will mold the team going forward, Commanders.com will look back at how each group performed last season, breaking down top performers and looking ahead at where they could go next. The defensive line is up next.
On the roster
Jer'Zhan Newton: 44 tackles, 2 sacks,1 PBU, 1 FF, 1 FR
Daron Payne: 42 tackles, 4 sacks, 2 PBUs
Sheldon Day: 24 tackles, 1 PBU
Jonathan Allen: 19 tackles, 3 sacks
Jalyn Holmes: 14 tackles, 2 sacks
Dorance Armstrong: 39 tackles, 5 sacks, 1 PBU, 2 FF
Clelin Ferrell: 26 tackles, 3.5 sacks, 1 FF
Javontae Jean-Baptiste: 13 tackles, 1 sack
Carl Davis Jr.: 4 tackles
Efe Obada: 4 tackles
Andre Jones Jr.: 1 tackle
Top performers (per Pro Football Focus)
Defensive tackle:
OVR: Carl Davis Jr. (65)
RDEF: Jalyn Holmes (61.6)
TACK: Carl Davis Jr. (72.9)
PRSH: Jonathan Allen (68.5)
Defensive end:
OVR: Dorance Armstrong (65.3)
RDEF: Javontae Jean-Baptiste (58.3)
TACK: Efe Obada (73.6)
PRSH: Dorance Armstrong (78)
Stats to know
-- Armstrong got his first chance to be a full-time starter in Washington after spending his first six years with the Cowboys. The former fourth-round pick delivered with another solid season, recording a career-high 39 tackles (it was also the sixth consecutive season with at least 30 stops) and a fourth-straight five-sack season.
-- Newton had the second most snaps for his position and had a strong rookie season. His pass rush grade of 62.7 from PFF was the fifth-best in his draft class. He was among the most utilized rookie defensive tackles in the league with 586 snaps, ranking third behind Braden Fiske and T'Vondre Sweat.
Questions to answer
-- Who stays? The Commanders have some decisions to make when it comes to how to structure their defensive interior for next season, particularly at defensive end. Ferrell, a Day 1 starter who played in 14 games this season, had 26 tackles with 3.5 sacks. He was a serviceable player in 2024, but the team will need to decide if they want to retain him or sign or draft another player. As for Washington's depth, Day and Holmes were both signed during the season and played meaningful snaps. Both players should be easy to re-sign if the team decides to do so.
-- What's next for Newton? Despite missing most OTAs and training camp, Newton ended up starting 11 games while racking up 44 tackles as a rookie. It was a strong start to his NFL career, but the Commanders took Newton with the belief that he could be more impactful in the near future. Newton was one of the most disruptive pass-rushers for his position at the college level. His quickness and ability to crash the pocket shined at times. However, his lack of size left him struggling as a run defender, and he will need to improve that going forward.
Free agency
Click HERE to see all the players the Commanders could pursue in free agency with their available cap space.
Draft
Click HERE to see Draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr.'s Big Board of draft prospects.
