Quan Martin Versatility Crucial to Potential 3 Safety Washington Commanders Defense

The Washington Commanders have a new defense, and the versatility of one of its returning players could be key.

Nov 23, 2023; Arlington, Texas, USA; Washington Commanders safety Jartavius Martin (20) and defensive end KJ Henry (55) in action during the game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Washington Commanders at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports / Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

The Washington Commanders have a new defense, and it’s going to be aggressive.

Outside of that, we don’t truthfully know much about what this new Commanders defense will truly look like. 

Taking hints from the past, however, we can assume there will be at least some usage of three safety looks for Washington this season. A look that was used by the Dallas Cowboys defense in 2023 often enough that it stood out during offseason tape studies.

There were four safeties the Cowboys used more often than others last season with Malik Hooker and Jayron Kearse taking the largest portion of snaps and Donovan Wilson and Markquese Bell coming in behind them.

Note: Many consider Bell a linebacker, including Pro Football Focus, but Dallas lists him as a safety.

It was a three-pronged look that featured a traditional free safety (Hooker) a box, or strong safety (Kearse) and a third safety that did a mixture of both (Wilson).

Wilson specifically spent around 40 percent of his snaps in a free safety coverage role and 38 percent lined up in the box ready to defend either the run or the pass.

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Nov 23, 2023; Arlington, Texas, USA; Washington Commanders safety Jartavius Martin (20) and defensive end KJ Henry (55) in action during the game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Washington Commanders at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports / Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

And this is the role we envision second-year defensive back Quan Martin filling for defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. this season.

Filling the Kearse roll will be veteran free agent Jeremy Chinn while the third safety spot is likely going to be filled with another hybrid player, Darrick Forrest.

Forrest has proven serviceable in coverage and in the box, though some see his real potential as more of a stout run-defending safety than in coverage.

The trio, fully unlocked by Martin’s versatility in coverage and close to the line of scrimmage, could give Whitt and the Commanders defense the ability to shift its defensive backfield to match movement by an opponent without tipping its hand as to what type of coverage that offense is about to face.

Its an advantage any defensive coordinator loves to have, and will appear to hinge mainly on Martin’s ability to build on a solid late-season push as a safety in 2023 and proven talents when crashing or playing near the line of scrimmage.

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