Commander Country

Why Commanders needed to add offensive line help

The Washington Commanders needed more help on the offensive line this offseason.
Jeremy Brener|
Houston Texans offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil during the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at NRG Stadium.
Houston Texans offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil during the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at NRG Stadium. | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

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Washington Commanders

The Washington Commanders are undergoing a massive change on the offensive line for a second consecutive season.

After swapping out four of their guys a year ago, the Commanders could make the same amount of changes again going into the 2025 campaign.

ESPN insider John Keim explains why there needs to be a new group protecting Jayden Daniels in the upcoming season.

READ MORE: Analyst: Commanders have 'easy choice' on Terry McLaurin contract extension

Daniels needs a revamped offensive line

"It's not as if Daniels was under siege all season; he wasn't. He was pressured on 32.6% of his throws, ranking 22nd in the NFL; that jumped to 34.4 over his past five games. That percentage might not always tell the story, as he was considered under pressure less than quarterbacks like Jalen Hurts, Lamar Jackson and Patrick Mahomes," Keim wrote.

"However, Daniels' average time in the pocket was 2.48 seconds -- 18th in the NFL -- and he was sacked 47 times, fifth most in the NFL. A number of those, however, stemmed from him running out of bounds either at or behind the line of scrimmage. Meanwhile, Hurts' average time in the pocket was an NFL-best 2.75 seconds."

The Commanders had Andrew Wylie, Cornelius Lucas, Nick Allegretti, Sam Cosmi and Tyler Biadasz as the starting offensive line in Week 1 in 2024. Out of those five, Biadasz may be the only one starting again.

Tunsil is expected to take Lucas' place at left tackle, while first-round pick Josh Conerly Jr. or last year's third-round pick Brandon Coleman could fixture at right tackle. Newly-signed Nate Herbig will challenge Allegretti at left guard, and Cosmi's injury suffered in the playoffs last year could hold him out for the first part of the season.

Change is certainly afoot in the nation's capital.

READ MORE: Commanders urged to make trade with Dolphins for $72 million star

Stick with CommanderGameday and the Locked On Commanders podcast for more FREE coverage of the Washington Commanders throughout the 2025 offseason.

More Washington Commanders News

• Commanders' Jayden Daniels praised as one of NFL's best young stars

• These two Commanders starters are aging like fine wine

• Commanders' rookie running back looking to 'match the talent' in the NFL

• Commanders' rookie says slide to 7th Round was ‘meant to be’

Published
Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several On SI sites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid and resides in Central Florida. He graduated from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener.

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