The Commanders as stated previously have an electric head coach + QB duo that is one of the best in the NFL in my estimation. The team’s subpar roster has held them back thus far in the Jayden Daniels + Dan Quinn era and it will need to improve heading into year 3 of the era if the team plans on contending to win a Super Bowl. I have assessed the Commanders from a personnel standpoint on the offensive side of things and now I will go into detail analyzing the Commanders’ defensive personnel starting with the front seven of the team.
Set to start at the first edge defender position is Tim Settle who has a high ceiling as a player but lacks consistency. Settle in eight NFL seasons has graded above average in terms of an overall defense grade according to Pro Football Focus only three times but was well above average on all three occasions including in 2025. Settle has played mostly in a reserve role thus far in his career and will now transition to being a starter.
Former first rounder Daron Payne is set to start at nose tackle and is a solid but not spectacular player. Payne consistently grades in the above average range in terms of an overall defense grade among players at his position but is never elite. Payne however does trend towards grading in the well above average range from time to time but is just a good to a very good but not a great player starting at nose tackle.
Former first rounder Javon Kinlaw is set to start at the other primary edge defender position and has been a bust thus far in the NFL. Kinlaw has graded poorly in every season he has played in the NFL thus far since entering the league in 2020. However, he was still drafted as high as he was for a reason and Dan Quinn must see something in him to continue to list him as a starter despite his consistent poor play.
Former first round pick Odafe Oweh is set to start at the first of the linebacker spots and is consistently a strong player. Oweh has graded in the above average to well above average range among players at his position for three straight seasons now. Although he has not quite lived up to his first-round draft billing, he has not been too far off.
At the second linebacker spot 2022 3rd rounder Leo Chenal is set to become a full-time starter for the first time after being an elite backup for years. Chenal has consistently graded in the well above average range among players at his position taking reserve snaps which included being graded as a top five overall player at his position during the 2024 season. It will be interesting to see how Chenal now plays transitioning to a starting role next season for Washington.
Set to start at the third linebacker spot is 2026 7th overall pick Sonny Styles who was amongst the best overall collegiate players this past season for Ohio State. Styles was a consensus top 10 overall player entering the 2026 draft across the board and will hopefully be a strong player in the NFL for the Commanders’ sake. Styles will likely see his rookie growing pains but towards the end of the season and heading into a potential playoff push perhaps he could start to fulfil his potential and emerge as an elite player in the Washington front seven.
Rounding out the Commanders’ starting front seven is newly acquired former first rounder K’Lavon Chaisson who has really underwhelmed thus far in the NFL but was still drafted so highly for a reason and has looked decent at times. Chaisson earned first team all-conference honors during his final season at LSU playing in the toughest conference in the country in 2019. He was drafted in the first round in 2020, deservedly so, but has really underwhelmed thus far in the NFL grading in the below average to poor range among players at his position in every single season he has played thus far. However, Chaisson has not yet had the chance to put together a full season of snaps and could perhaps come into his own or at least prove to be a solid starter if given the chance to play for a whole year. However, Chaisson remains a weak link in the Commanders’ starting front seven as of now and is likely better suited as reserve where he potentially could transition if he does not improve.
From a reserve standpoint in the front seven the Commanders have several noteworthy names who could transition to a starting role given some of the holes the Commanders have in their starting lineup. While those same players will also have the ability to serve the team well as high end backups. 2024 2nd round defensive lineman Jer’Zhan Newton was drafted very highly and although he has looked subpar in his time on the field thus far, he still has played limited snaps and is in line to still improve and potentially live up to his high draft billing. Interior defensive lineman Shy Tuttle grades as an above average player on nearly a perennial basis. Linebacker/edge defender Dorance Armstrong has graded in the above average to well above average range among players at his position for three straight seasons now. While linebacker/edge defender Javonte Jean Baptiste looked very strong in very limited action in 2025 which was his first season outside of his rookie year. Linebacker/edge defenders Charles Omenihu and Deatrich Wise Jr have high ceilings but are very inconsistent, however. Linebacker/edge defender Drake Jackson was drafted very highly in the 2nd round in 2022 and although he has looked subpar since entering the NFL, he has played in very limited snaps and is in line to still grow and potentially live up to his high draft billing. While finally linebacker Frankie Luvu was a listed starter for most of the offseason before now transitioning to a reserve role. Luvu is a very capable starter who has consistently performed at a borderline elite level before a down year in 2025. Luvu is perhaps the prime candidate in Washington’s reserve front seven unit to transition to a starting role during this upcoming season.
Overall, the Commanders have a lot of talent and a lot of depth in their front seven but far too many question marks as of now. The young/inconsistent players in the unit will need to be on their A game in order for the Commanders to have a front seven that is capable of carrying a contending team. A full breakdown of the Commanders’ front seven heading into the 2026 season can be found below.
Projected 2026 Commanders’ Starting Front Seven
LDE – Tim Settle – C+ to B-
NT – Daron Payne – B-
RDE – Javon Kinlaw – D to D+, former first rounder
WLB – Odafe Oweh – B to B+
LILB – Leo Chenal – B+ to A-
RILB – Sonny Styles – 2026 7th overall pick
SLB – K’Lavon Chaiison – C, 2020 first rounder
Notable 2026 Commanders’ Reserve Front Seven Players
ED – Jer’Zhan Newton – C so far, 2024 2nd rounder
NT – Shy Tuttle – B-
LB – Dorance Armstrong – B
LB – Javontae Jean-Baptiste – B-
LB – Charles Omenihu – C+ to B-
LB – Drake Jackson – C in limited snaps, 2022 2nd rounder
LB – Deatrich Wise Jr – C+ to B-
LB – Frankie Luvu – B to B+
