The Washington Commanders arguably have the NFL’s most talented defensive line. Defensive ends Chase Young and Montez Sweat, combined with defensive tackles Jonathan Allen, Daron Payne and Phidarian Mathis, give Washington an outstanding tor group.
However, with Young still recovering from knee surgery, there were concerns about Washington’s youthful depth at defensive end this offseason. It led the Commanders to sign veteran Efe Obada to serve in a backup role for 2022.
But what about some of Washington’s young pass rushers?
Head coach Ron Rivera spoke to the media Wednesday and offered high praise for some of the Commanders’ young pass rushers.
“[William] Bradley King has done a really nice job,” Rivera said of the second-year defensive end. “He’s a heavy-handed guy that’s physical.”
Bradley-King has been consistent throughout training camp and flashed multiple times in last week’s preseason opener. Rivera also praised Bunmi Rotimi and Shaka Toney. Toney, along with Bradley-King, were fellow seventh-round picks in 2021.
“You look at Shaka [Toney], Shaka is a situation pass-rusher type,” Rivera said. “Very explosive off the ball. We saw that in the game. He was getting around the corner and dipping stuff like that. So, we got a mix of young guys.”
Defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio also spoke on some of Washington’s defensive ends, naming James Smith-Williams and Casey Toohill.
“I think James Smith-Williams is the first guy that comes to my mind,” Del Rio said. “He is running with the ones. I think he is a guy that is rugged. He has played a little bit inside and has moved outside full-time. He is doing a great job with it. Really happy with him.”
We know Young is out for at least Week 1. Perhaps he will miss a few games. Washington certainly isn’t going to rush his return. So the extra reps for players like Smith-Williams, Toohill, Bradley-King and Toney are critical in the preseason.
It’s clear that Commanders’ coaches believe in some of the young players and Obada, regardless of how long they must wait on Young. That’s something the Commanders were less confident about one year ago.
