How Commanders Defense Will Look Similar, But Different This Season

Washington Commanders defensive coordinator Daronte Jones is looking to improve the team, and that will likely result in transactions from outside of the roster.

However, there are several players currently on the defense that should be around for 2026 and beyond, and Jones is excited to work with them.

“I mean, I had a chance to speak with quite a few players already and they're all excited to get going just as I am. But I think the team is filled with some versatility players and I think you can be, they can be used in several ways," Jones said.

"You look at a [CB Mike] Sainristil who was very versatile coming out of college, and the things that he was able to accomplish at University of Michigan, not only winning the championship, but the way he done it, right? And how he led those guys there. When you talk to the guys from that championship team, everyone points to him as being the leader.

"You look at a [S] Quan Martin, who I know evaluating him, coming out, you know, we were like, ‘Hey, is he a safety? Is he a nickel? Is he a corner?’. That's another guy that has versatility. You know? And then I think when you look at [S] Will Harris and how he's able to move in the line of scrimmage, cover tight ends on the deep paths, you look at a [LB] Jordan Magee, another guy who's an on the ball, off the ball, the list goes on and on.

"You look at a you know, [DT] Javon Kinlaw, who can play all different levels up front. And so, the talent is there, the skillset is there. It's our job with the staff to maximize those skill talent. And I'm excited to work with the staff that we have."

Jones Must Figure Out How to Fit Puzzle Pieces

Washington Commanders defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw against the Philadelphia Eagles. | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

The Commanders have a lot of moving parts already in motion, so it's up to him to figure out where they fit so the team can get the proper players to help complement them on the defense.

"There's going to be a lot of collaborative effort going forward and the communication and we get a chance to teach, right? You know, we talk about the foundation from ground up and trying to connect to these players and find out how they learn. And I think that's the biggest thing going forward. To be able to utilize versatility," Jones said.

"You got to figure out how do they learn? We all, as human beings, we learn differently, right? And so, each player is going to fall into one of the four categories of learning styles, and it's our responsibility to figure out a third visual, auditory, auditory, read and write, or if it's kinesthetic learners. And that's our job to pull that out of them.”

The Commanders had one of the worst defenses in the league last season, so there is reason to believe the unit will look very different in the upcoming year, starting with Jones at the helm.

If Jones can figure out the right ways to get his team to be a more complete product, the Commanders should have a good chance to improve in the upcoming season.

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