If the Washington Commanders are going to improve this season, second-year defensive back Darrick Forrest will need to show a ton of progress.
That's good news for the Commanders, because Forrest feels he has grown a lot in his second training camp.
“I feel extremely more comfortable than I did last year," Forrest said. "I feel like OTAs helped me a lot. The guidance and the leadership from the players around me is making things easier for me. So I just feel like I'm taking the next step and I got to continue to get better.”
But Forrest isn't alone in believing that he is making progress, his head coach Ron Rivera agrees with him.
"I've seen some really good growth," Rivera said. "We really have and that's a huge plus, you know, he took a big step from last year."
Forrest was used primarily as a depth piece in the secondary and a special teams ace, but this season his role is set to expand after the team released Landon Collins over the offseason.
Collins spent three seasons with Washington before being let go this offseason in a cap saving move.
While he rejected the idea of being labeled a linebacker, the veteran played plenty in the middle of the defense last season, and looked good doing it.
While Collins was appearing on 675 defensive snaps in 2021, Forrest was on the field for just 26 as a rookie while playing more than 150 on special teams.
But he's in the running for more playing time on more than just fourth down this season.
"He still has that role as a special teams ace," Rivera said. "But the biggest thing is, you know, he has a chance to contribute on the downs too.”
In his second season, look for Forrest's defensive contributions to spike significantly, as he continues to cement his role on the team in training camp and the preseason.
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