Commander Country

Commanders Defense 'Very Sound'; Top 5 Unit?

The Washington Commanders have spent years building their defense. But is it good enough to be the best in the NFL?

Jeremy Brener

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The Washington Commanders continue to pride themselves on the defensive side of the ball.

After drafting cornerback Emmanuel Forbes with the No. 16 pick, he became the sixth member of the projected starting lineup to be a Washington first-round pick.

By compiling all of these high picks, the Commanders' defense has continued to rise up the ranks. Bleacher Report tabbed Washington with the fourth-best defense in the NFL.

"Led by arguably the league's best defensive line—Montez Sweat, Daron Payne, Jonathan Allen and Chase Young—Washington is powerful up front and very sound overall. If [Emmanuel] Forbes and fellow rookie Jartavius Martin help in the turnover department, this will be the sort of unit that keeps opposing coaches up at night," Bleacher Report writes.

The only teams to rank ahead of the Commanders were the New York Jets, Philadelphia Eagles and San Francisco 49ers.

Washington is built through the defense, and the hope is that it will alleviate some pressure for second-year quarterback Sam Howell, who started just one game in his rookie season.

The way Washington can move up the rankings is by turning the ball over. That's why Forbes, the NCAA record holder for pick-sixes, makes a lot of sense as the team's first pick. Should Forbes' game translate to the NFL level, it could make the Commanders defense the best unit in the league.

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Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.

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