Most fans and media talking-heads will agree that Washington has a pretty good football team. Much of that centered around the phenomenal play of rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels in 2024, but there are other factors too.
New general manger Adam Peters brought in players with high football IQ’s, leadership skills, big-game experience and talent. Head coach Dan Quinn instilled a sense of brotherhood and accountability in the locker room and that carried over to the field. Offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury tailored an offense around the strengths of his rookie passer, instead of the previous regime trying to force a square peg into a round hole.
All of the aforementioned played a huge role in a turn-around from a 4-13 season in 2023 to a 12-5 record, and a spot in the NFC Championship game, last year.
Still, there is work to be done to take this team to another level…
Some big improvements this offseason:
One of the biggest focuses this offseason was to bolster the defensive front in an attempt to stop teams from running all over Washington in 2025, and to improve the offensive line to help protect Jayden Daniels and open up the run game.
The defensive line saw the release of Jonathan Allen this offseason. His loss may be addition by subtraction as he was not the same player he was as little as two years ago. Adam Peters signed Javon Kinlaw and Eddie Goldman to go along with Daron Payne and Jer’Zhan Newton on the inside and added Deatrich Wise and Jacob Martin on the edges.
On the offensive line, a tsunami hit. Peters traded for All-Pro left tackle Laremy Tunsil, one of the best one-on-one pass protectors in the league. He will lock down left tackle (which was a big problem area last season) for the foreseeable future. Adding Tunsil means finding a new home for Brandon Coleman. He will get his shot at right tackle but could slide inside to guard and be a force there. Nate Herbig was added to provide help on the inside and should compete with Nick Allegretti at left guard. Andrew Wylie will return for a third season but could slide inside to right guard while Sam Cosmi recovers from ACL surgery. Trent Scott and Michael Deiter were re-signed to provide depth. The return of John Bates on a new three-year deal was equally as important, as Bates is one of the best blocking tight ends in the NFL.
These moves on the offensive line should take an average unit and make it a strength.
2025 Team Needs:
With all this improvement, one may ask what other areas need some attention as the NFL Draft approaches?
EDGE: Washington has some warm bodies, but none that really stand out as a true alpha on the edge.
Wide Receiver: The addition of Deebo Samuel will help take some pressure off Terry McLaurin and give Daniels another dynamic receiving threat, but both McLaurin and Samuel are on the last year of their current deals and will be turning 30 during the season. A young outside receiver to grow along side of Jayden Daniels is needed.
Corner Back: Between injury and inconsistent play, Marshon Lattimore struggled after the Commanders traded for the veteran. Mike Sainristil was moved to the outside, but his best position may be in the slot. Jonathan Jones offers a veteran presence and inside/outside versatility, but the soon-to-be 32-year-old is on a one-year deal in Washington. A young corner is needed for the future.
Running Back: Brian Robinson is about as average as they come in this league. He lacks vision, great receiving skills, and break-away ability. He’s also fumbled eight times in the last three years. A dynamic home run threat would be a welcome addition to the backfield.
Can a game-changing running back take Washington to another level?
Being able to run the football and stop the run are vital in the NFL. Just ask the current Super Bowl Champion Philadelphia Eagles. As previously mentioned, Washington did a lot this offseason on both sides of the trenches to help stop the run and potentially to increase the efficiency in the run game.
But one key piece is missing…
2024 Playoff teams and their running back output from their “bell-cows”
NFC:
Eagles: Saquon Barkley – 2,283 scrimmage yards, 15 total TD
Lions: Jahmyr Gibbs – 1,920 scrimmage yards, 20 total TD
Packers: Josh Jacobs – 1,671 scrimmage yards, 16 total TD
Vikings: Aaron Jones – 1,546 scrimmage yards, 7 total TD
Bucs: Bucky Irving – 1,514 scrimmage yards, 8 total TD
Rams: Kyren Williams – 1,481 scrimmage yards, 16 total TD
Commanders: Brian Robinson – 958 scrimmage yards, 8 total TD
AFC:
Ravens: Derrick Henry – 2,114 scrimmage yards, 18 total TD
Steelers: Najee Harris – 1,326 scrimmage yards, 6 total TD
Texans: Joe Mixon – 1,325 scrimmage yards, 12 total TD
Bills: James Cook – 1,262 scrimmage yards, 18 total TD
Chargers: J.K. Dobbins – 1,058 scrimmage yards, 6 total TD
Chiefs: Kareem Hunt – 904 scrimmage yards, 7 total TD *had RB-by-committee
Broncos: Javonte Williams – 859 scrimmage yards, 4 total TD *had RB-by-committee
What stands out to me on this list, is among all the 2024 playoff teams, Brian Robinson, who started 14 games for Washington, was the least-effective starter from a team’s lead back (minus the committee approach in Kansas City and Denver).
Case Study:
The Detroit Lions:
The 2022 Detroit Lions were coming off a 3-13-1 season the prior year and weren’t expected to make a lot of noise in the NFC. They had some good players, most notably quarterback Jared Goff, but were in a re-build mode. The 2022 draft saw them select EDGE Aidan Hutchinson and wide receiver Jameson Williams (via a trade with Minnesota) in round one. Hutchinson would go on to start all 17 games, while Williams played sparingly while still recovering from ACL surgery. Dan Campbell’s crew finished 9-8 and missed the playoffs.
The following season, the table was set for Detroit to make a run at the NFC North. They made some key free agent additions and had multiple first round picks yet again. This time they chose to trade back in round one (from pick 6 to pick 12) and drafted the dynamic running back Jahmyr Gibbs out of Alabama. As a rookie Gibbs produced 1,261 scrimmage yards and 11 touchdowns.
The Lions won the NFC North with a record of 12-5 and went on to win two playoff games before falling to the 49ers in the NFC Championship game.
Gibbs and the Lions had one of the most explosive offenses in the NFL in 2024. They were second in yards per game behind only the Ravens (who had the dynamic Lamar Jackson and Derek Henry) at 409.5 and were tied with the Chiefs for the best record in the league at 15-2. Gibbs was third in the NFL in yards from scrimmage with 1,929 and his 20 total touchdowns ranked first.
Despite losing to the Commanders in the divisional round of the playoffs, Dan Campbell’s squad is a force in the NFL and should remain that way for the next few years.
The need for a complete running back:
We all saw how the addition of Saquon Barkley propelled the Philadelphia Eagles to a Super Bowl Championship. Although the Eagles didn’t draft the dynamic back, he INSTANTLY made an impact on their football team. Barkley had 2,283 scrimmage yards and 15 total touchdowns during the regular season and added an additional 574 yards and five scores during the playoffs (four games played).
The San Francisco 49ers added a dynamic running back via the trade route when they acquired Christian McCaffrey from the Carolina Panthers during the 2022 season in exchange for the team’s second, third and fourth round picks in 2023 and fifth-round pick in 2024. The following season, the 49ers went to the Super Bowl and lost in overtime to the Chiefs. McCaffrey had 160 total yards from scrimmage and a touchdown.
The 2025 free agent running back group was very underwhelming. Washington has already made three recent trades (Lattimore, Tunsil and Samuel) that limited their draft resources to try and acquire a running back via trade. However, in a LOADED draft class at the position, the Commanders sit in a pretty good spot with their top two picks to land a future game-changer at the position if they so desire.
Some potential game-changing running back prospects in the 2025 draft:
Ashton Jeanty (will be gone before pick 29)
Omarion Hampton: UNC 6’0” 221 4.46 40 (RD1-2)
TreVeyon Henderson: Ohio St. 5’10” 202 4.43 40 (RD1-2)
Quinshon Judkins: Ohio St. 6’0” 221 4.48 40 (RD2)
Dylan Sampson: Tennessee 5’8” 200 4.48 40 (RD2-3)
D.J. Giddens: Kansas St. 6’0” 212 4.43 40 (RD2-3)
Bhayshul Tuten: Virginia Tech 5’11” 209 4.32 40 (RD3-4)
Jaydon Blue: Texas 5’9” 196 4.38 40 (RD3-4)
I have been against taking a running back in round one due to the great depth at the position in the draft, however I have developed a draft-crush on TreVeyon Henderson and would be EXTREMELY tempted to select him at pick number 29 if he was there. He is a homerun threat every time he touches the football, is excellent as a receiver out of the backfield and is the best pass protecting running back in this draft. The injuries earlier in his career at Ohio St. scare me a bit, as well as his ability to run consistently between the tackles. With his frame, I believe he could carry 215 pounds without losing any of his speed, and he has shown great ball security only fumbling once during his time in college.
I have a draft-crush on Henderson, but I always try to talk myself out of him in RD1 because of my philosophy on getting a RB later in the draft
However, I pulled the trigger at 29 (he has an ELITE skillset) then traded out of RD2 with the Pats getting their high 3rd and a 4th pic.twitter.com/mY3mQxqGA9
— Mark Tyler (Hogs Haven) (@Tiller56) April 13, 2025
With our franchise quarterback now in place, Washington will be a contender for years to come. Can a game-changing running back help take the Commanders to the next level as we’ve seen with some recent teams?
We may get a piece to that answer in a little less than two weeks!