The Washington Commanders were one of the pleasant surprises of the 2024 season led by rookie sensation quarterback Jayden Daniels. Daniels had perhaps the strongest rookie season an NFL QB has ever had this past year. Daniels broke several rookie quarterback records this past season and he projects to be one of the premier quarterbacks in the NFL for years to come. The Commanders were a fun team to watch with him at the helm and the team with him at quarterback greatly outperformed the remaining talent on their roster. Head coach Dan Quinn, who was the defensive coordinator for one of the greatest defenses in NFL history and who nearly won a Super Bowl as a head coach, took over the realms for the Washington franchise this past season. It remains to be seen if Quinn is the right coach to get the absolute most out of Jayden Daniels but his track record which was listed above does not give me much to pause about. Washington still had a rebuilding roster for the most part with Daniels and Quinn this past season. The fact that they were able to win 12 games and make the conference championship with a rookie quarterback, with a coach who has not been a head coach in several years, and with a rebuilding roster, is indeed remarkable. Commander’s fans should be incredibly optimistic about the future state of the team with Daniels at the helm.
The Commanders were mostly an offensive story last season as the team had one of the premier offenses in the NFL over the course of 2024. The Commander’s offensive rankings can be found below.
Commanders 2024 Offensive Rankings
5th in points per game
7th in yards per game
15th in offense grade according to Pro Football Focus
Based on the above data the Commanders were very prolific offensively in the 2024 season accumulating nearly as much yards and points as anyone. However, the efficiency of the offense was indeed a question mark evidenced by Pro Football Focus grading them as the 15th best offense in the NFL over the course of 2024. A rookie quarterback with a rebuilding roster, a defensive minded head coach who has not been a head coach in a while, and an offensive coordinator in his first season with the team led to those concerns. However, going into 2025 the team should improve on offense as the quarterback, head coach, and offensive coordinator are all going into year 2 and the team’s personnel should improve greatly as the team currently ranks third in the NFL in cap space. Speaking of the team’s personnel, I have conducted an analysis of each unit of Washington’s offense. I have listed the offense grade that they accumulated in the 2024 season according to Pro Football Focus, and I have also assigned each player a subjective grade that indicates how strong of players I deem them to be in totality outside of just the 2024 season. This subjective evaluation is based upon yearly statistical output and yearly subjective grades that have been assigned to them by Pro Football Focus as well.
Key Washington Offensive Line Starters
LT – Brandon Coleman – (54/87) offense grade over 787 snaps in 2024, C, 2024 third round pick
LG – Nick Allegretti – (51/83) offense grade over 1146 snaps in 2024, C+
C – Tyler Biadasz – (12/43) offense grade over 941 snaps in 2024, B-
RG – Sam Cosmi – (24/83) offense grade over 1157 snaps in 2024, B+ to A-
RT – Andrew Wylie – (67/87) offense grade over 889 snaps in 2024, C+
Key Washington Offensive Line Reserves
C – Michael Deiter – (43/43) offense grade over 232 snaps in 2024, C to C-, free agent
T – Cornelius Lucas – (27/87) offense grade over 464 snaps in 2024, C+ to B-, free agent
T – Trent Scott – (79/87) offense grade over 192 snaps in 2024, C to C-, free agent
T – Chris Paul – 1 snap in 2024, C
Key Washington Offensive Line Rankings over 2024 Season
22nd in Pass Blocking Grade according to Pro Football Focus
25th in Run Blocking Grade according to Pro Football Focus
8th in Pass Blocking Efficiency
20th in Sacks Allowed
As you can see from the above three sets of data the Washington offensive line left much to be desired over the 2024 season. Ranking below average to well below average in almost all the key indicators of offensive line play. The only indicator where they did not rank as below average in was pass blocking efficiency but this can be misinterpreted as Jayden Daniels is one of the most mobile quarterbacks and evades many sacks and pressures that otherwise would have been accounted for in that metric. Right guard Sam Cosmi is one of the better but not one of the best overall guards in the NFL, as although he is very effective, he is not a superstar by any stretch. Center Tyler Biadasz was effective this past season but is typically pretty average when starting. Outside of that the remaining three starters on the offensive line are all average to mediocre caliber players when starting in the NFL. The Commanders currently rank third in the NFL in available cap space and one of the biggest points of emphasis this offseason should be to bolster the offensive line in front of Daniels. I have conducted a similar analysis of the team’s skill position players which can be found below.
Washington Key Skill Position Players
WR1 – Terry McLaurin – (20/110) offense grade in 2024 in 17 games, A-
WR2 – Jamison Crowder – (106/110) offense grade in 2024 in 6 games, C+, free agent
WR3 – Olamide Zaccheus – (47/110) offense grade in 2024 in 17 games, C+, free agent
WR4 – Noah Brown – (53/110) offense grade in 2024 in 11 games, C+ to B-, free agent
WR5 – Dyami Brown – (68/110) offense grade in 2024 in 16 games, C, free agent
WR6 -Luke McCaffrey – (106/110) offense grade in 2024 in 17 games, D+ to C- so far as 2024 3rd round pick
WR7 – K.J Osborn – (109/110) offense grade in 2024 in 8 games, C to C-, free agent
TE1 – Zach Ertz – (27/45) offense grade in 2024 in 17 games, C to C+, free agent
TE2 – John Bates – (45/45) offense grade in 2024 in 17 games, C to C+, free agent
TE3 – Ben Sinnott – (45/45) offense grade in 2024 in 17 games, 2024 2nd rounder, 5 receptions in NFL career thus far
HB1 – Brian Robinson – (27/58) offense grade in 2024 in 14 games, B to B+
HB2 – Austin Ekeler – (40/58) offense grade in 2024 in 12 games, C+ to B-
HB3 – Jeremy McNichols – (28/58) offense grade in 2024 in 15 games, C to C+, free agent
HB4 – Chris Rodriguez – (7/58) offense grade in 2024 in 6 games, B+ in limited snaps, free agent
As you can see from the above data the Washington Commanders had a few standouts from a skill position standpoint in the likes of Terry McLaurin and Brian Robinson. But outside of that the remaining skill position players for the team were very average to mediocre in totality. As aforementioned, the Commanders have the third most cap space out of any NFL team this offseason and in addition to bolstering the offensive line the team should look into adding players to complement McLaurin and Robinson. Ben Sinnott was a rookie 2nd round pick in 2024 who did not see the field all too much in his first season. However, If he can begin to emerge as an effective player as a second rounder then the team will be in good position, as they will have a legitimate #1 wide out, #1 running back, and #1 tight end. Running back Chris Rodriguez has looked exceptional albeit in limited snaps in his first two NFL seasons. He is a free agent entering the offseason and it remains to be seen if the team will retain him and how they will utilize him if he is retained. Austin Ekeler who up until the past two seasons has been one of the better running backs in professional football has tail dived the past two seasons as he is now aging and is now paired with weaker offensive personnel as well. If Ekeler can somehow regain play that is closer to his old form, it would bode the team quite well. The only reason why wide out Terry McLaurin did not warrant a grade higher than A- is because he has yet to produce the truly elite statistical production as he has lacked the circumstances to do it. Perhaps as the Commanders continue to grow with Jayden Daniels and get strong offensive personnel around him, he can start to be recognized as one of the premier wide outs in the NFL.
Overall, on the offensive side of the ball the Washington Commanders were very prolific as they had one of the best combinations of a starting quarterback and a number one wide out in the NFL with Jayden Daniels and Terry McLaurin. The running back unit of the team was also one of the better units in the NFL, the offensive line although ineffective in totality had some bright spots, and offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury is one of the premier offensive coordinators in the game today. Looking forward to next year, the team should emphasize pouring their cap space which currently ranks 3rd in the NFL into the offensive line and a #2 wide receiver. If 2024 second round pick Ben Sinnott can begin to reach his full potential in addition to it, then the Commanders will be in the definitive discussion for having the premier offensive attack in the NFL in the 2025 season.
The defensive side of the ball was far more concerning than the offensive side of the ball for the Commanders this past season. The Commanders were one of the weaker teams in professional football on the defensive end this past season by any and all metrics. The team gave up an astonishing 55 points in their conference championship game loss to the Philadelphia Eagles as well. The Commanders defensive rankings for the 2024 season can be found below.
Commanders 2024 Defensive Ranks
18th in points per game allowed
13th in yards per game allowed
29th in overall defense grade according to Pro Football Focus
As you can see from the above data the Commanders were average to mediocre on the defensive end this past season. Head coach Dan Quinn is defensive minded and is one of the premier defensive minds in the game today. The defense was ineffective in totality because this marked Quinn’s return to the head coaching spot for the first time in 4 years and the defensive personnel that Washington fielded was relatively weak. I have conducted an analysis of the team’s defensive personnel similar to what I did for the offense of the team which can be found below starting with the defensive line.
Washington Commanders Key Defensive Lineman
DL1 – Daron Payne – (93/146) defense grade over 741 snaps in 2024, C+ to B-
DL2 – Jer’Zhan Newton – (101/146) defense grade over 515 snaps in 2024, C as 2024 second round pick
DL3 – Jonathan Allen – (89/146) defense grade over 300 snaps in 2024, B-
DL4 – Sheldon Day – (68/146) defense grade over 272 snaps in 2024, B, free agent
DL5 – Jalyn Holmes – (109/146) defense grade over 265 snaps in 2024, C to C+, free agent
ED1 – Dorance Armstrong – (44/135) defense grade over 635 snaps in 2024, B to B-
ED2 – Clelin Ferrell – (93/135) defense grade over 369 snaps in 2024, C to C+, free agent
ED3 – Dante Fowler Jr – (75/135) defense grade over 563 snaps in 2024, C to C+, free agent
ED4 – Javonte Jean Baptiste – (94/135) defense grade over 194 snaps in 2024, C
As you can see from the above data, the Washington Commanders personnel on the defensive front was nothing to write home about. They did not have a single player who warranted being graded in even the B+ range. However, there are some bright spots in having multiple players who are solid to above average as defensive lineman. A priority this offseason would be to add some high-end talent on the defensive line to complement the good but not great talent that is already present on the unit. I conducted a similar analysis of the teams linebacking core which can be found below.
Washington Commanders Key Linebackers
LB1 – Bobby Wagner – (2/92) defense grade over 1071 snaps in 2024, A+, free agent
LB2 – Frankie Luvu – (36/92) defense grade over 1058 snaps in 2024, B+
The tandem of Wagner and Luvu formed one of the best linebacking units in professional football this past season. Wagner is arguably the best overall linebacker in the sport and Luvu is one of the best #2 linebackers in the NFL. Retaining free agent Bobby Wagner this offseason should be viewed as a necessity as his production is essentially irreplaceable. I conducted a similar analysis of the team’s secondary which can be found below.
Washington Commanders Key Secondary Players
S1 – Jeremy Chinn – (33/104) defense grade in 2024 over 1020 snaps, C+, free agent
S2 – Quan Martin – (74/104) defense grade in 2024 over 942 snaps, C, 2023 second round pick
S3 – Percy Butler – (103/104) defense grade in 2024 over 399 snaps, D+ to C-
S4 – Darrick Forrest – (42/104) defense grade in 2024 over 74 snaps, C, free agent
CB1 – Mike Sainristil – (55/128) defense grade in 2024 over 978 snaps, B- so far as 2024 2nd rounder
CB2 – Noah Igbinoghene – (119/128) defense grade in 2024 over 819 snaps, D+, free agent
CB3 – Benjamin St Juste – (122/128) defense grade in 2024 over 836 snaps, C, free agent
CB4 – Marshon Lattimore – (37/128) defense grade in 2024 over 526 snaps for both Commanders and Saints, B to B+
As you can see from the above data the Commanders secondary was mostly bereft of talent during the 2024 season. Going into the 2025 season the team can however remain optimistic that the unit can see improvement. Mike Sainristil was productive as a rookie and is a second-round pick so he is currently on pace to be a highly productive starter at the cornerback position, which can certainly begin in the 2025 season. Quan Martin is a 2023 second round pick who has been relatively meager thus far in the NFL but has shown some promise. If he can start to play like the player the Commanders hoped to get drafting him that high which he has shown he is capable of doing, then the Commanders will be in good shape. Chinn who was the team’s primary safety was highly productive in 2024 but is erratic as a player and the Commanders will need him to be on his A game next season if he returns to the team. Marshon Lattimore was acquired via trade midseason but only appeared in two regular season games for the Commanders. Lattimore is highly effective as a starting cornerback in the NFL and if Dan Quinn can integrate him accordingly into the defensive gameplan next season then Washington will be in good shape. If Lattimore can be on his A game next season combined with Sainristil taking the next step then the Commanders will boast one of the premier cornerback tandems in the NFL. If the team can re-sign Jeremy Chinn and get Quan Martin to produce like a second-round pick then Washington’s starting safety tandem will also be formidable.
Overall, on the defensive side of the ball, Dan Quinn remains one of the premier defensive minds in the NFL. There are several bright spots from a personnel perspective on the Washington defensive side of things but far too many question marks. The defensive line has a few good but not great players and the general manager should look to add some high-end talent to it. The linebacking core was one of the premier units in the NFL this past season led by superstar Bobby Wagner who is now a free agent. The team should look into retaining him as he and Frankie Luvu form one of the premier linebacking units in professional football. If a few young high draft picks in recent memory can begin to emerge for Washington on the back end, then the Commanders secondary will be very formidable next season, especially if the team can re-sign Marshon Lattimore. The Commanders were average caliber on the defensive end in 2024. But the team can expect to take the next step defensively and they certainly have what it takes to become a great defensive team in 2025 if they play their cards right this offseason and see improvement from some young players.
Overall, the Commanders were a very pleasant surprise in the 2024 season as they went from 4-13 in 2023 to 12-5 with an NFC Championship game appearance in 2024. Jayden Daniels will be one of the premier quarterbacks in the NFL for years to come and Washington’s Super Bowl window will open next year in my estimation. The team has the third most amount of cap space in the NFL that they should primarily use to bolster their line play on both sides of the ball, add another receiving weapon for Jayden Daniels to utilize, and re-sign a few veteran stars.
