Commanders Rookie Quan Martin Impressed Ron Rivera in Preseason Debut

Washington Commanders second-round rookie Quan Martin impressed head coach Ron Rivera after starting fast in his first preseason action at safety.

The NFL preseason is underway, allowing Washington Commanders fans to meet rookie safety Quan Martin, whose demeanor against the Cleveland Browns caught the attention of head coach Ron Rivera.

“I think the biggest thing for Quan, more than anything else, was how hyped up (to play the Cleveland Browns) he was. He played really fast, probably a little too fast at times," Rivera said.

However, the former Illinois defensive back didn’t let the nerves consume him for the entirety of his professional debut, according to Rivera.

"He settled in; I thought he did some good things. I saw he was very competitive, maybe overly aggressive a little bit, but he's a guy I think that's going to continue to grow and get better for us, and the more he learns and more comfortable he gets within the scheme, you'll see more opportunities for him rise up,” Rivera said.

Martin finished the game with four tackles despite splitting time against the Browns, in an overall solid start to his professional career especially considering that he was a late bloomer in college.

With the No. 16 pick in the second round, the Commanders selected Martin following a strong finish to his collegiate career. The fifth-year senior wrapped up his collegiate career with 64 tackles, three for loss with one sack, three interceptions, 11 pass breakups, and two forced fumbles.

Having played both cornerback and safety in college, Martin profiles as a versatile piece for Washington's secondary which was underrated in 2022, allowing the third-fewest amount of passing yards and then investing their top two draft picks in Martin and cornerback Emmanuel Forbes.

How Martin continues settling into his role with the Commanders will be worth watching as the preseason unfolds, but so far, so good for the former All-Big Ten Conference selection.

---

Want the latest in breaking news and insider information on the Washington Commanders? Click Here.

You can follow Isaiah DeAnda Delgado on Instagram, Twitter, and Threads @IsaiahDDelgado.

Follow Commander Country on Twitter.

Want even more Washington Commanders news? Check out the SI.com team page here