The Washington Commanders have spent the entire offseason letting the rest of the NFL know they plan to make a run toward at least one Super Bowl, if not more, within the next three years before they have to give Jayden Daniels a massive contract. 

GM Adam  Peters and his staff made big moves in free agency to trade for Deeebo Samuel and Laremy Tunsil to give Daniels extra talent around him on offense. They added veteran role players like longtime Patriots CB Jonathan Jones on defense and picked up former first round athletic freak Javon Kinlaw who is projected to play a major role on the defensive line alongside Daron Payne, And with only five picks in the NFL Draft, Washington landed two day one starters in OT Josh Connerly Jr. and CB Trey Amos, while using the other three picks on players that have a chance to contribute immediately. 

While there are still concerns about the holdup between the Commanders and inking star WR Terry McLaurin to a contract extension, all reports out of D.C. and from national insiders have stated that Washington has no plans to trade McLaurin and he’s a focal point in the plans for the immediate future. 

While the Commanders defense should improve drastically with Marshon Lattimore playing at full-strength, Jones or Amos holding down the other side and Mike Sainristil in the slot, the cornerback room went from questionable to one of the most solid units on the team for 2025. Quan Martin has continued to trend upward at the safety position — and even without Jeremy Chinn this season, the Commanders have a few guys who could take over that starting role. 

The linebacker corps is anchored by Bobby Wagner and Frankie Luvu and both players should be poised for a big year. 

If the offense can play good and consistent all season, the Commanders are a legitimate Super Bowl contender. They don’t even have to have a dominant defensive unit. Just don’t let the Eagles hang 55 points on you in the NFC Championship game a week after the offense bailed the team out in a 45-31 upset over the Lions. If the defense can hold teams under an average of 21-24 points, they should have a chance to win every game they play. 

One of the only lingering questions on that side of the ball has been the lack of a dominant pass rusher, but it doesn’t look like the Commanders plan to trade for a splashy name and are content rolling with players getting to the quarterback through schemes and technique vs. pure talent. 

And while it’s highly unlikely the Commanders trade for Trey Hendrickson or TJ Watt, three’s a recent first round pick from the AFC South who hasn’t lived up to the expectation when he was drafted in 2022. 

Devin Lloyd has been listed as a potential cut candidate for the Jaguars before 2025 kickoff and Anthony Palacios of Last Word on Sports believes the Commanders could be an ideal fit for the 6-foot-3, 235-pound former Utah standout. 

The Commanders are reportedly not looking to add any pass-rushers, but they can’t ignore the unit that could keep them in ball games. The team lost its sack leader, Dante Fowler Jr., to their bitter rival, and guys like Bobby Wagner and Frankie Luvu need to step up. While Deatrich Wise Jr. and Dominique Hampton have some potential, it’s better to get a new presence like Lloyd to see what he could do for the long-term of this defense.