Hype skyrockets around Commanders' bounce-back star going unnoticed

The Washington Commanders will have playoff expectations to meet and a Super Bowl dream to chase when they kick off their regular season against the New York Giants.

All eyes will be on second-year star quarterback Jayden Daniels as he looks to build upon his historic NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year campaign. But if the Commanders are going to repeat their 2024 success, they'll need high-quality play from the entire roster.

One unit that has been viewed as an area of concern all offseason is the defensive line. But no-nonsense coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. is quite confident in one of the team's unsung heroes to help the group perform up to the required standard.

Commanders are hyping up Dorance Armstrong Jr. to produce more in 2025

Last offseason, general manager Adam Peters wasted no time making his mark in Washington upon assuming leadership duties in the front office. He went on a free agency spending spree that included several high-profile veterans such as linebacker Bobby Wagner, tight end Zach Ertz, and running back Austin Ekeler. All of those players and plenty of others made key contributions towards the Commanders' surprising playoff run.

One signing who came up short of expectations, however, was defensive end Dorance Armstrong Jr. The former Dallas Cowboys star joined new head coach Dan Quinn and Whitt in crossing over from enemy territory. Unfortunately, he only accumulated five sacks despite accumulating an impressive 76.4 pass-rushing grade from Pro Football Focus. This sack number was down from a career-high 8.5 in 2023 and 7.5 in 2024.

Nevertheless, Whitt expects big things out of Armstrong this season. And he made a point to highlight him in his Thursday availability before Week 1 at Northwest Stadium.

He's a complete football player. He can do it all... he can play on first and second down outside, on third down, you can kick him inside. He can communicate when we're changing things up front. He can communicate with the other D-Linemen. He's one of the leaders on this defense.Joe Whitt Jr.