Commanders defense doesn't need to be perfect

The Washington Commanders defense eyes improvement, not perfection, going into the upcoming season.

Pittsburgh Steelers running back Jaylen Warren carries the ball past Washington Commanders linebacker Bobby Wagner. | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

The Washington Commanders are a team that thrives on the offensive side of the ball.

Quarterback Jayden Daniels is the franchise player and the team will win or lose dependent on how well he leads the offense.

That takes some pressure off of the defense, which won't be expected to dominate games during the 2025 season.

READ MORE: Eagles’ Saquon Barkley felt disrespected by Commanders during free agency

New England Patriots cornerback Jonathan Jones against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Commanders defense doesn't need dominance

"There's good news and bad news for the Commanders defense going into the 2025 season. The bad news is they didn't do much on paper to fix a defense that was 29th in rushing defense," Bleacher Report contributor Alex Ballentine wrote.

"The good news is the offense should be good enough that teams are going to have to throw the ball to keep up. Jayden Daniels has changed the entire conversation around the Commanders.

"Last year, they were able to put up a respectable 42 sacks, but only had seven interceptions. They added Trey Amos in the draft and signed Jonathan Jones to bolster the cornerback room and added Will Harris at safety."

The Commanders have a lot of question marks on defense, so it remains to be seen how well the unit will perform.

There's a chance the defense could be the Achilles' heel for the Commanders, but there's also a scenario where the unit is what turns the team from a contender to a true threat for the Super Bowl.

The Commanders are scheduled to report to training camp later this month with rookies arriving on July 18 and veterans coming in on July 22.

READ MORE: Hall of Famer jabs at Commanders WR Deebo Samuel’s weight

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

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