Defensive End Position Group Breakdown
The Commanders’ defensive ends are under a significant spotlight heading into the 2022 campaign, and their most experienced defender in the position group is newly signed Efe Obada. Obada, 30, played for the Buffalo Bills in 2021. Montez Sweat, 25, is the next most senior edge defender for the Commanders; he is heading into his fourth season, looking to improve upon a disappointing 2021 season. Overall, the Commanders’ defensive ends are a relatively young position group, yet they will be pivotal in the defensive turnaround from a season ago. Let’s begin the position group breakdown and outline the expectations heading into the season.
Starters
Young is still recovering from his November ACL tear, so for obvious reasons projecting when he will be able to return is difficult. Furthermore, Young is non-definitive about when he expects to return from the injury. However, when doctors clear Young, one has to ask what you could expect to see from Young. Will he feel 100 percent and trust himself and his knee to burst off the scrimmage line and bend the corner at angles that rely on that lower-body flexibility? When will evaluators, media, and fans of the team transition from monitoring his ability in his first reps back to assessing his production on the field? The former rookie of the year’s second season in the league was nothing short of a disappointment and quite honestly unexpected from everyone close to the situation. His comeback will be all the more critical as he was touted as one of the best edge prospects to come into the league in some time, and there are murmurs of doubt that, over time, will become much louder.
Montez Sweat
Last season, Sweat carried the Young-Sweat duo, collecting four of the five and a half combined sacks between the two before Young’s injury. Even with that being the case, four sacks in eight games was underwhelming for the starting duo who casually predicted that they’d break the sack record in training camp. While Sweat was sidelined for a short period of time due to injury last season, what is now more important for Sweat is that he is approaching the fifth-year team option of his rookie contract after this season. Sweat’s bounce-back season is just as crucial as Young’s injury recovery. Sweat’s performance in 2022 will directly impact the team’s decision to either extend him next season or expose their willingness to play the year-to-year deal game until he shows them something.
Key Rotational players
Smith-Williams (JSW) played 44 percent of the defensive snaps for the Commanders last season, placing him firmly as the team’s top rotational edge defender behind Sweat and Young. When Young got injured, JSW became the starting edge opposite of Casey Toohill. JSW posted two and a half sacks in 14 games played. As JSW enters his third season, his worth as a depth piece depends directly on the rate of his development. For the public, expect updates on his development throughout the Commanders’ offseason program and preseason.
Casey Toohill
Toohill, like JSW, had to step up for the Commanders defense, starting six of the last seven games that he played while also seeing a significant uptick in his snap percentage during that time. Toohill posted one sack in 2021, but that one did not come during that time as a starter late last season. Toohill was one of their go-to guys the previous season and was trusted to take meaningful snaps in Jack Del Rio’s defense. JSW and Toohill have the leg-up on the next group of players heading into training camp in late July.
Training Camp Battles
Of the training camp battles to take place, Efe Obada has the leg up on the other four players due to his time played (five years) in the league and the number of games (52) he’s played. While Toohill and JSW have the advantage due to familiarity with Del Rio, Obada’s experience and veteran savviness will place him in close competition with them. Additionally, Obada will be the favorite to edge out William Bradley-King, Shaka Toney, Bunmi Rotimi, and Jacub Panasiuk.
Bradley-King (WBK) entered his second season as a pro and was only active for three games his rookie season. What will be most important for WBK in his journey this year is whether he can show the coaches he is worthy of a 53-man roster spot. Same goes with Toney, who played in ten games for Washington last year; he will be in a position battle with Obada, WBK, and maybe JSW and Toohill if he provides a noticeable impact during camp and preseason.
On the outside looking in are Bunmi Rotimi and Jacub Panasiuk. Rotimi has been in the league since 2018, first playing with the Chicago Bears. His first significant play time in 2021, though, with Washington. Can Rotimi challenge WBK and Toney? Time will tell. As far as the rookie Panasiuk, he won’t have many expectations attached to him, which will benefit him as coaches explore his potential.