Commanders Rookie Quan Martin Reacts to 'Deciding Moment' vs. Ravens

LANDOVER, Md. -- The Washington Commanders turned a lot of heads when they drafted Illinois Fighting Illini defensive back Quan Martin in the NFL Draft's second round, on the heels of having taken Emmanuel Forbes early.

While plenty of people thought the Commanders could use a slot defender - which is what Martin is - they didn't think the team would draft two defensive backs in a row.

That's exactly what Washington did, however, and after experiencing some struggles in his first preseason showing against the Cleveland Browns, Martin told us he was focused on turning the lessons learned into positive growth.

After coming away with a big interception in the end zone against the Baltimore Ravens, we're willing to bet Martin is pretty satisfied with the progress he's shown this week.

Said Martin when describing the interception: "Got an outside release, got rubbed by my man a little bit, so I was kind of in trail position so I knew I needed to keep running and just make a play on the ball. So I did."

While the rookie defensive back simplifies the play as he describes it, the takeaway stands out as one of the deciding moments in what would become a one-point Commanders win.

As an individual, it's a culmination of Martin's efforts the past week while he was fielding social media feedback from fans and questions about how he was going to improve from the media.

"Definitely did better than last week," Martin said. "Still got some things to clean up on my end but overall a better game I think."

This is improvement from one of two Washington rookies expected to make big impacts in the secondary this season, but still room to grow.

It's exactly what the Commanders wanted to see from Martin in his second NFL game, and is a solid reminder of why he was drafted in the first place.

Find David Harrison on the Locked On Commanders podcast or text him directly at (202) 760-2188.

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