One graphic will tell you everything you need to know about the 2025 Washington Commanders. Washington’s defense is statistically among the worst in the NFL across all major categories.

Total defense: 31stYards per play: 31stRun defense: 27thPass defense: 29thScoring defense: 28thTurnovers: T-30thDefensive DVOA (per FTN): 22nd

Washington’s defense was so bad that head coach Dan Quinn finally took over defensive play-calling from defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. ahead of Week 11. While Whitt had his issues, he was far from Washington’s only problem on defense. Injuries have been an issue, but so has personnel. When you consider what the Commanders are paying out on the defensive side of the ball in 2025, it’s disappointing.

Only five teams are paying more on the defensive side of the ball this season than the Commanders. Yet, Washington is near the bottom of every statistical category.

About the aforementioned graphic.

Here are the top cap hits for Commanders’ defensive players in 2025:

DT Daron Payne: $25.08 millionCB Marshon Lattimore: $18 millionLB Frankie Luvu: $12.5 millionDE Dorance Armstrong: $10.1 millionLB Bobby Wagner: $9 million

Of the five top cap hits for Washington’s defense, how many are playing at that level currently? While Wagner struggles in coverage, he’s still not grossly overpaid. Armstrong is a bargain at just over $10.1 million, but sadly tore his ACL in Week 7, while on pace for his best career season. Payne, Lattimore, and Luvu have all not played to the level they’re being paid in 2025.

Now, back to that graphic. The Rams and Eagles are paying the least amount to their defensive players this season. Both teams have two of the top defensive units in the NFL. They also have one thing in common: they draft well. When you see the money that low, it means those teams have several players contributing on rookie contracts, which is the direct opposite of Washington.

Ron Rivera’s four seasons in charge of the Commanders were catastrophic in terms of roster building. None of his first-round picks are on Washington’s roster, and most of the rest of his picks aren’t around either. That changed GM Adam Peters’ approach when he was tasked with building a roster with so few picks left by the previous regime.

That doesn’t mean Peters hasn’t made mistakes. He has. The jury is out on some of his picks, but it’s only been two years. You can’t fully judge an NFL draft until a few years in.

The main takeaway from this graphic is how two of the NFL’s best teams built their defenses compared to how Washington built its struggling defense. Before you pile on Peters and head coach Dan Quinn, much of it was due to necessity. The lack of draft picks has not only crushed Washington’s depth but also impacted the starting lineup, leading the Commanders to rely more on free agency.

Moving forward, Washington will still need to rely on free agents, but expect Peters to take more chances on younger free agents while using the draft to continue restocking the roster.