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A collection of articles, podcasts & tweets from around the web to keep you in touch with the Commanders
Profiling the key traits the Commanders want in a cornerback
Before jumping into free agency and draft prospect breakdowns, I thought it might be interesting to put together some position profiles at the main positions of need for the Commanders. In this series, I’ll be breaking down the key traits that the Commanders will be looking for in new players at each position. That way when we get to free agency and the draft, we can evaluate players based on how they fit what the Commanders are looking for rather than just overall talent.
One of the biggest needs the Commanders have this offseason is at corner. The team did trade for Marshon Lattimore during the season, but he is one of only two corners under contract for next season. Despite playing well outside, Mike Sainristil seems likely to move back inside to the slot in his second season, which is the position he was originally drafted for. So the need for Washington is primarily on the outside, where they’ll need at least one starter and some depth pieces too. So what traits will they be looking for in a cornerback? Let’s take a closer look.
— 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...
