Commanders Offensive Line Ranked Near Bottom of NFL, Says Pro Football Focus

The Washington Commanders played musical chairs at a lot of offensive line positions last season, and added another rotation to the mix with the anticipated release of left guard Andrew Norwell. 

While the Commanders believe they’ve taken strides to improve the group, Pro Football Focus seems to think they’ve actual degraded the unit significantly. 

“Another line with significant turnover,” PFF says. “Washington is likely changing four starters between new acquisitions and position switches.”

Those four include a new center, two guards, and a right tackle. 

That new right guard is Sam Cosmi who is in his third season with Washington and has experience at the position in the NFL.

Meanwhile, left tackle Charles Leno Jr. is the only player returning to start at the same spot he was last year, and is considered to be the Commanders’ best in the bunch. 

“Charles Leno Jr. epitomizes “solid starter” in the NFL,” says PFF. “But that means he will lose more often than many like to see. He surrendered eight sacks in 2022 but allowed just 37 pressures overall on 669 pass-blocking snaps.”

Leno will certainly be looked upon to be the stabilizing veteran on the front line, but to PFF’s point - even if they have the projected starting five wrong - the amount of turnover here is going to play a big role in how well second-year quarterback Sam Howell does in his first year as the starter. 

“Last season’s group had very little in the way of continuity,” PFF writes. “But so much change doesn’t help the adjustment of quarterback Sam Howell as he comes in to try and win a starting job long term.”

While we’ve been on hand for every practice so far this offseason it’s really hard to tell just how well a new offensive line is coming together until the pass rush is real and the run fits are impactful.

Until then any evaluation of Washington’s group is purely speculative, even a 27th overall ranking for the Commanders re-designed offensive line.