The Washington Commanders took a lot of pride in their defense this past season, but there is a very good chance that it will be even better in 2025.
In a recent article by PFF, they talk about some of the key players on every NFL team's starting lineup. For the Commanders, they list veteran cornerback Marshon Lattimore as an "X-factor" going into the 2025 season.
"The Commanders acquired Lattimore before last season’s trade deadline to improve a mightily struggling cornerback unit. Unfortunately, he battled a hamstring injury down the stretch and played in only the team’s final five games, including the postseason," PFF wrote. "A return to health and a full season of production closer to his career averages would vastly improve a cornerback unit that ranked dead last in PFF coverage grade last season."
He missed the majority of the games that he was on the Commanders in 2024, so he will be looking to stay healthy and on the field to help the team contend for the Super Bowl this season.
Lattimore won NFL Defensive Player of the Year after the New Orleans Saints drafted him with the 11th overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, and he has been named a Pro Bowler four times since then.
He has dealt with an umber of injuries over the past several seasons, keeping him from contributing as much as he knows he can. If he can stay healthy, he could help Washington contend with the likes of the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC East.