Commanders GM Adam Peters Explains What He Looks For in Pass Rusher

The Washington Commanders are in Indianapolis this week, looking at hundreds of NFL prospects that they could select in this year's draft.

A position the Commanders are looking for specifically is on the edge and general manager Adam Peters shared a tidbit in what he is eyeing.

“Evaluating the edge, just guys that, you know, fit your scheme and your profile. And we have new scheme this year with [Defensive Coordinator] Daronte [Jones] and so, but I think a lot of that stuff carries over," Peters said.

"... Pass rush is going to weigh more than run defense, especially the way this league is. But I mean, ideally you want [Cleveland Browns defensive end] Myles Garrett, you know, that's who you want, but there's only one of those guys walking on the face of the earth. But a lot of those same traits, right? And you know, long, fast, explosive, can turn the corner, can finish all those things. In terms of guys with shorter arms, and there's a few in this draft that are really, really good players."

Commanders Have Idea on Pass Rush Archetype They Want

Texas Tech's David Bailey goes through a drill as the Red Raiders practice ahead of the Orange Bowl | Nathan Giese/Avalanche-Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Commanders look at many factors when it comes to pass rush prospects, but Peters went into further detail about arm length and how that plays a role in the team's evaluation.

"Arm length is a, I mean, I can go into days on this arm length thing because every time you measure somebody's arm, it could be 30, 31, 32, 33, just depending on who measures it. So, you get a pretty good idea of how long their arms are with that. But you really how well they play with whatever length they have," Peters said.

"Some guys have shorter arms that play with great length and extension all the time. Some guys have really long arms that don't use that, their length as well. So, you know, it's great to have that length, but it's also how they use it and how it comes out on the tape. And so, some guys can excel with shorter arms by doing things differently, but you know, ideally you always want to have the air on the side of a longer person yeah.”

At the end of the day, regardless of the arm length a player has, he needs to possess talent. He needs to be ready to play a physical, violent game and that's exactly who defensive coordinator Daronte Jones wants for his unit.

Stick with CommanderGameday and the Locked On Commanders podcast for more free coverage of the Washington Commanders throughout the 2026 offseason.

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