"If you only consider sacks, the Washington Commanders had a pass rush unit that finished in the middle of the pack in 2025. Led by veteran Von Miller's nine, the Commanders' defense totaled 42 sacks on the season. When he was hurt shortly before midseason, defensive end Dorance Armstrong Jr. was on pace for 13 sacks. Losing Armstrong, along with fellow ends Deatrich Wise Jr. and Javontae Jean-Baptiste, no doubt caused the pass rush to suffer."
"This was never projected to be a strength of the defense, and there is no guarantee that the return of the injured players in 2026 will provide much relief. Despite that decent sack total, Washington finished at or near the bottom of the league in most other metrics. They were dead last in quarterback hurries despite blitzing a fair amount. Apart from Armstrong, there are no other edge rushers who inspire a great deal of confidence set to return next season."
Washington recorded 42 sacks in 2025, led by Von Miller's nine. Injuries to Dorance Armstrong Jr., Deatrich Wise Jr., and Javontae Jean-Baptiste weakened the pass rush after Armstrong was injured while on pace for 13 sacks. The team ranked last in quarterback hurries despite frequent blitzing and finished near the bottom in most other defensive metrics. Traditional edge rush depth is thin, leaving uncertainty about improvement even if injured players return. The 2026 draft offers several edge-rushing prospects, including Texas Tech's David Bailey, who combines size, speed, and explosive pass-rush traits.
Read at Riggo's Rag
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]