The Washington Commanders shocked the NFL last season after they made it to the NFC Championship Game. However, the team ran into a juggernaut in the rival Philadelphia Eagles, who went on to win Super Bowl 59. This offseason, the Commanders made plenty of moves to help keep their Super Bowl window wide open, such as acquiring wide receiver Deebo Samuel and left tackle Laremy Tunsil.
But on Wednesday, the Commanders agreed to terms on free agent linebacker Von Miller on a one-year contract. Miller's agent said a couple of days ago that the pass rusher had three teams interested in signing him. Now, we know the Commanders were one of those teams.
Now with Miller on the team, what does their depth chart look like?
Commanders DE depth chart after Von Miller signing
Let's take a look at the Commanders' defensive end depth chart with Miller entering the fold.
Left Defensive End | Right Defensive End |
|---|---|
1. Dorance Armstrong | 1. Von Miller |
2. Jacob Martin | 2. Deatrich Wise |
3. Jalyn Holmes | 3. Clelin Ferrell |
4. Andre Jones Jr. | 4. Jovontae Jean-Baptiste |
5. T.J. Maguranyanga | 5. Viliami Fehoko Jr. |
The Commanders defensive line does look a bit different heading into the 2025 season, as the team moved on from defensive tackle Jonathan Allen. Yet, they replaced him with Javon Kinlaw. In terms of edge rushers, they did have a need for it, especially if they want to contend in what is a tough NFC East division.
By signing Miller, he should slot in as a starting defensive end option. Sure, his prime is long ago, but he can still make an impact when on the field. So, expect him to start with either Dorance Armstrong or Deatrich Wise.
Commanders depth chart on defense after adding Von Miller
Let's take a look at the team's full depth chart on defense.
Position | Starter | Backup |
|---|---|---|
LDE | Dorance Armstrong | Jacob Martin |
LDT | Daron Payne | Jer'Zhan Newton |
RDT | Javon Kinlaw | Eddie Goldman |
RDE | Von Miller | Deatrich Wise |
WLB | Frankie Luvu | Kain Medrano |
MLB | Bobby Wagner | Jordan Magee |
LCB | Jonathan Jones | Trey Amos |
SS | Will Harris | Percy Butler |
FS | Quan Martin | Jeremy Reaves |
RCB | Marshon Lattimore | Kevon Seymour |
Nickel | Mike Sainristil | Noah Igbinoghene |
Adding Miller does help bolster the Commanders' defensive line and should improve their pass rush, which ranked 12th in sacks with 43 last season. The defensive line shouldn't be a problem for them. The main area of concern is their secondary.
The Commanders acquired Marshon Lattimore at last year's trade deadline, and he didn't pan out like the team expected. In fact, he was a liability, especially in the playoffs. They are obviously hoping that bringing in Jonathan Jones and Will Harris will help.
In reality, the Commanders' success will once again rely on quarterback Jayden Daniels, who showed the world that he can be a true game-changer. Now, the world sees if he can still be a threat on offense, or if the rest of the league figured him out.