Commanders DC Praises LB Dante Fowler Jr.

The Washington Commanders are thrilled with the year that linebacker Dante Fowler Jr. has had.

Fowler, the No. 3 overall pick from the 2015 NFL Draft, has enjoyed a long career in the league but hasn't lived up to those top-prospect expectations.

However, nearly a decade removed from being drafted, Fowler is having one of the best seasons of his career, logging 8.5 sacks, which is the second-highest total in a single year of his time in the league.

“Coming into the year, I was expecting Dante to have a big year," Commanders defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. said. "He just needed more reps, which we've given him. Like I talked about last time, I think [Assistant Linebackers Coach] Ryan [Kerrigan] does a nice job with him. He's the guy that can constantly beat the tackle and just needed more control to the quarterback. And now that he has the sack numbers, how well can he play to run? How well can the front play to run is the next question. We have to improve there but I've been pleased. He's an energy generating player such as, [LB] Frankie Luvu, [S] Quan Martin, those guys that just jump off out the field at you. And that's what he is. So, he's the type of player that we want to build around.”

Fowler and the Commanders are back in action Sunday against the Tennessee Titans. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET.