Nov 2, 2025; Landover, Maryland, USA; Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-Imagn Images Amber Searls-Imagn Images

The Biggest Draft Question Surrounding the Commanders

Originally posted on Washington Commanders on SI
By Caleb Skinner | Last updated Feb 17, 2026 4:00 PM ET

The Washington Commanders require a facelift after failing to get the train back on the tracks at any point during their 2025 season.

New coaches have been hired to help turn things around, but the Commanders must now evaluate what direction they want to go in when it comes to roster construction. The team isn't close to being competitive in many areas, but perhaps the most glaring has been the lack of production on the defensive side of the ball.

The Commanders have struggled on defense since Dan Quinn's arrival, which is not typical of what we have come to know from him. The lack of elite play on defense is clear, and per ESPN, the question of whether the Commanders can build a strong defense through the 2026 NFL Draft is the biggest.

Commanders' Bounce Back Begins on Defense

Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

"The Commanders started the defensive rebuild process by hiring Daronte Jones at coordinator, but they need a talent boost as well. Over the past two seasons, Washington was a combined 24th in scoring defense (24.8 PPG) and 28th in yards allowed per game (355.6)," wrote ESPN's John Keim. "They're top six in available cap space and have the No. 7 pick, so they have premier spots to add talent. The Commanders need an impact player or two; they need youth along the front, as only one rotational player was under 25 this season. A strong defense with a healthy Jayden Daniels at quarterback can lead to a quick resurgence."

Keim did a wonderful job at summarizing part of the problem in Washington's defense. It hasn't lived up to expectations despite having veteran leadership, but the Commanders must get younger on that side of the ball to compete against today's NFL offenses.

The Commanders will have plenty of money to work with and should use their draft picks to get younger on the defensive side of the ball. Fortunately, the Commanders have a slew of free agents over the age of 27 who can be replaced with younger talent to mix in with veteran presences like Bobby Wagner and Frankie Luvu.

If Washington is able to get things turned around, even to mediocrity, they could see themselves compete with the best of the best as they did in 2024. Having a legit defense to match what the offense is able to do with Jayden Daniels at the helm would vault the Commanders from one of the worst teams in the league to perhaps one of its best.