Commanders training camp could be dominated by a player nobody saw coming

The legacy of big safeties in the NFL stretches from Steve Atwater to Kam Chancellor to Kyle Hamilton — the latest state-of-the-art safety who, in an earlier era, would have played linebacker. The Washington Commanders had a similar player last year in Jeremy Chinn, but they allowed him to leave via free agency.

His expected replacement, Will Harris, has been a steady performer for a number of years. However, he doesn’t have the athletic gifts of a player like Hamilton.

Neither did Chinn. Whereas Hamilton has cornerback skills in a linebacker’s physique, Washington's ex-defensive back was much closer to an old-school linebacker. He did have the agility and speed to stay with some of the league’s tight ends, but coverage was never his strong suit.

Washington currently has three players with the physical attributes to play the style of game that Hamilton does in Baltimore. The problem is that none have even come close to proving they can perform at the NFL level.

Dominque Hampton has been getting some looks at linebacker this summer. Rookie Kain Medrano was a linebacker in college and would be making a major transition if he moved to the back line of Washington's defense.

Then there is Tyler Owens, who overcame enormous odds by simply making the Commanders roster last year as an undrafted free agent. Of all of Washington’s defensive players, he has the best potential to develop into a surprise star.

The problem with Owens is simple. His production on the field has never matched his physical talent.

If you watch tape from his final two seasons at Texas Tech, Owens looks reasonably comfortable dropping into coverage. Still, he never made the kind of plays you might expect from someone who made Bruce Feldman’s Freaks List while in college.

Tyler Owens will be a player to watch closely at Commanders training camp

Feldman’s annual list identifies prospects with rare physical gifts. At 6-foot-2 and 216 pounds, Owens has been timed at 4.3 seconds in the 40-yard dash. His burst numbers, referencing the amount of power he can generate from his lower body, are off the charts.

Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald traded up in the second round to be able to draft South Carolina safety Nick Emmanwori. Macdonald used to coach Hamilton in Baltimore, and he sees a lot of similar traits in his new rookie

Owens is every bit the athlete that Emmanwori is. But on the field, that’s a different story.

He was a high-value recruit at Texas. But in three seasons, he logged just 152 total snaps and made six tackles. Injuries were part of it, but Owens simply couldn’t find a way to get on the field.

After transferring to Texas Tech, he fared better, but still ended his college days with fewer than 1,000 snaps and just 54 total tackles in five years.

In Year 4 — his first with the Red Raiders — Owens finally hinted at what kind of player he could be in the Texas Bowl against Mississippi. He made six tackles and was responsible for two fourth-quarter turnovers that helped seal a memorable victory. The final was an interception of Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart, now a prized rookie with the New York Giants.

But Owens has never been able to consistently deliver that type of performance.

For a while last year, Owens was best known for his outlandish comment about space and his belief in a flat Earth. Whether that contributed to not being drafted is impossible to know. But when he was available, Adam Peters snapped him up.

The rookie repaid that faith by making the final roster. He did not play on defense, but he became a core special-teams player.

That may be Owens’ ceiling. Perhaps he will develop into the next Jeremy Reaves and rise to the level of All-Pro special teamer. Perhaps he can go higher.

Harris is the projected starter at strong safety, but he has no history in Washington. He is signed for two seasons. The contract is backloaded, meaning he could be cut after this season with minimal salary cap damage.

No one is hoping that Harris fails. Even so, the Commanders will be taking a long look at young players like Owens to see what they can do.

It would seem that Owens just needs some high-level coaching to develop into a potential starter. Josh Harris and Quinn have invested mightily in a quality coaching staff. This is the best place for fledgling stars to grow.

Owens will be under the tutelage of defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr., who helped turn Dallas Cowboys safety Donovan Wilson into a genuine sack master. Then there is Jason Simmons, pass game coordinator, who coached Chinn when he entered the league with the Carolina Panthers.

He will have assistant coach William Gay and his 11 years of experience playing in NFL secondaries at his disposal. If Owens is destined to make it as a legitimate starter, he is in the ideal situation.

We’ll begin seeing this summer whether Owens can take advantage of the chance.

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