Commanders' under-the-radar defender is suddenly demanding attention

When starting strong safety Will Harris suffered a fractured fibula in the Washington Commanders’ win over the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 3, it wasn’t immediately obvious who would take his place. The Commanders, at the time, appeared to have decent secondary depth. Percy Butler had started much of the 2023 season as an injury replacement. Second-year phenom Tyler Owens seemed on the verge of a bigger role. Defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. had even more flexibility if he wanted to try a cornerback like Noah Igbinoghene at safety. He also had Jeremy Reaves, a do-everything defensive back. At first glance, that didn’t seem likely. Reaves was on the team because he is among the best special teams players in the entire league. First team All-Pro in 2022. But in his previous seven seasons, the undrafted free agent out of South Alabama had started just 11 games on defense. More than half of them came before 2021. The veteran has backed up a plethora of safeties in Washington. From Ha Ha Clinton-Dix and D.J. Swea