What is the Commanders' worst-case scenario on defense in 2026?

One of the biggest things Washington Commanders' general manager Adam Peters did during the offseason was to focus on the defense. In 2025, the Commanders' defense was awful. It was, in large part, due to injuries, but the Commanders also replaced Joe Whitt with new defensive coordinator Daronte Jones.

With Jones on board, Dan Quinn's defensive background, and the players who were brought in, Peters' goal was improvement.On paper, it certainly looks like he's improved the defense. However, this unit is untested as a group, so what we see on paper may not translate to the field in the way we think.

It's also possible that this unit exceeds all expectations and blows us out of the water.In a recent article by Bleacher Report, Gary Davenport outlines the best and worst-case scenarios for every defense in the NFL. We've already discussed the best-case scenario, so now let's look at the worst-case scenario as Davenport sees it.

There's also significant downside risk. Styles struggling to replace Bobby Wagner as the "green dot" linebacker. Odafe Oweh and K'Lavon Chaisson not living up to their contracts and the Commanders pass rush actually taking a step backward relative to last year's 42 sacks.

Safety Nick Cross being the same liability in coverage in D.C. that he was in Indianapolis.

Cornerback Amik Robertson failing to meet expectations. If the unit doesn't show substantial improvement, Dan Quinn's position will come under serious scrutiny.If we're talking worst-case scenarios, this one is pretty accurate.

The only thing to add would be seeing multiple injuries, whether season-ending or not. Injuries can derail any unit, even if a player misses a game or two, especially on a unit that's almost entirely brand-new. The players are still learning each other's tendencies and nuances, still creating the bonds that will allow them to trust each other on the field.

If a player gets injured, it throws all of that off, and progress stalls.In the absence of injuries, which is wh