The Washington Commanders are always going to be a team that will light up the scoreboard if the Jayden Daniels/Kliff Kingsbury partnership is going strong, but they need their Marshon Lattimore-led defense to take a step forward if they are to compete with contenders like the Lions and Eagles in the NFC.
Lattimore may play a bigger part in helping this group improve as an overall unit than anyone else, as the Commanders still have a secondary that is generally regarded as below-average when compared to the other contenders. The OTA no-show will be under a microscope all season long, especially considering his contract situation.
NFL.com's Nick Shook put Lattimore on his "make-or-break" candidates list ahead of the 2025 season, citing the fact that Washington could theoretically move off him after this year with minimal financial penalties as a result. His postseason performance also raised some eyebrows (derogatory).
The Commanders' defense is much better than it was to start 2024, but they won't be able to replicate their NFC championship run in 2025 without Lattimore getting back to the peak form he showcased in New Orleans. Still just 29 years old, Lattimore has plenty of gas left in the tank.
Commanders CB Marshon Lattimore named "make-or-break" player ahead of 2025
Lattimore's 71.8 PFF coverage grade in the regular season is right about where someone of his caliber who played through some injuries should be in terms of performance. In the postseason, his 29.8 overall grade was the worst among all 62 cornerbacks who managed to qualify.
Lattimore will team with 2024 draftee Mike Sainristil, free agent signing Jonathan Jones, and much-hyped second-round pick Trey Amos to form the core of the Commanders' cornerback room. Sainristil and Amos have high ceilings, but Lattimore needs to be the one who sets the floor.
While the Commanders will likely try to keep Lattimore beyond this season, especially after invested a ton of draft capital in acquiring him, there's no telling what Adam Peters might start thinking if the Lattimore who showed up against Philadelphia in the postseason is the player they get for most of 2025.
Having said that, a strong season from the star cornerback (coupled with Amos turning out to be a solid draft pick) could be all that Joe Whitt Jr. needs to take this defense from the absolute pits to a unit capable of supporting Jayden Daniels and one of the game's more creative offenses.