Much-maligned Commanders unit is shocking everyone after months of doubt

When the dust settled from the Washington Commanders' offseason recruitment, one part of the roster was left as a glaring weakness.

That, of course, was the defensive line.

For most of the offseason, Washington's starters in the trenches were set to be Dorance Armstrong Jr., Daron Payne, Javon Kinlaw, and Deatrich Wise Jr. Even after signing future Pro Football Hall of Fame edge rusher Von Miller, there were still significant concerns.

Perhaps rather surprisingly, indications from joint practice against the New England Patriots were that the unit held its own. And it might have been an even better assessment than that.

Commanders' defensive line is starting to alleviate concerns entering 2025

One must always be cautious when using training camp performances as predictors of what's to come during the season, even when it's against a different team. That said, early returns on Washington's revamped defensive front have been much less disastrous than feared.

The defensive line reportedly had a strong outing against New England's rushing attack, per Nicki Jhabvala from The Athletic. This is significant after the Commanders were repeatedly gashed on the ground last season, giving up the third-most rushing yards in the NFL.

Most notably, they were nothing short of toyed with in the NFC Championship game as the Philadelphia Eagles scored seven rushing touchdowns. It's early days, but this represents a positive development.

The Commanders' moves in response included signing Kinlaw, whose contract was immediately deemed a massive overpay, to replace long-time stalwart Jonathan Allen. Payne was retained after a down year, and the additional early free agent signings — Wise, Eddie Goldman, and Jacob Martin — didn't do much to move the needle.

Payne claims he is much healthier than he was at the end of 2024. Kinlaw, despite the eyesore of his price tag, should be productive. Then, there's the Miller effect.

Even though Miller is far removed from his All-Pro days, he's the type of presence who figures to make everybody around him better. The Super Bowl 50 MVP has shown he still has some gas left in the tank despite his heavy mileage, impressing with his high level of quickness and agility.

If there was any concern on defense over the joint practice, it seemed to be in the secondary. Patriots signal-caller Drake Maye connected on some deep balls in the open field. The red-zone portion also went in New England's favor offensively.

Overall, that unit has been a strong suit this offseason, so Commanders fans shouldn't be too worried. And if the defensive line can continue making progress, it will be a bonus.

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