The numbers are what they are. In 2024, the Washington Commanders' pass defense was one of the best units in the league.
After a league-worst tally in 2023, the addition of head coach Dan Quinn saw the group improve to the third-best finish in football. It's a big reason why the Commanders won 12 games and reached the conference championship.
Despite the production growth, Washington added a new weapon to the secondary with the draft selection of Ole Miss cornerback Trey Amos.
Through the first month of offseason workouts, Amos has turned heads with his coverage ability and physicality.
Pro Football Network writer Brandon Austin believes in Amos so much that he named him the Commanders' rookie to watch at next week's mandatory minicamp.
"The Washington Commanders’ defense took a step forward in 2024 under the leadership of Dan Quinn and Joe Whitt Jr. They weren’t elite by any means, but it was refreshing to see how the unit improved during the latter part of the season," Austin wrote.
"Despite fielding a porous run defense (30th in rush yards allowed) for much of the year, the Commanders’ pass defense came on strong, finishing with the league’s 10th-best pass defense success rate (55.5%)."
Remember, success rate and passing yards allowed are two different things. The organization is hoping that Amos' inclusion into the starting lineup will help improve their success rate, while keeping the yardage they give up at a low amount as well.
It is far too early to tell if Amos is ready for those expectations. The fact that he has done a good job in the first month of workouts is a very solid start, though.