Earlier this week my friend and host of Overtime on 106 The Fan, Lynnell Willingham, posted out a rather odd tweet regarding Washington’s safeties heading into the 2025 season.
ATTENTION
JUST GOT ASKED THIS @Commanders QUESTION
? ASKER: “WHAT’S THE TEAMS BIGGEST POSITION OF NEED”
ME: VERY CLEARLY SAFETY TO ME
Right now my starting Safety pair would be
FS- Quan Martin –
SS- Jeremy Reeves
Not a fan of the depth pic.twitter.com/LyErSVLR4A
— Lynnell Willingham (@Nell_BTP) May 8, 2025
I respect Lynnell, but did disagree with his take on the current state of our safeties. My question to him was – you are not a fan of Will Harris or Tyler Owens?
I have a MUCH higher view on our current safety situation that Lynnell, and I will outline below our current room and how I view the pieces.
Safeties
Quan Martin: Free Safety
2024 stats:
-16 games played (16 starts)
-87 tackles
-2 TFL
-2 INT (one in playoffs – pick 6)
-3 FF
Notes:
Quan improved tremendously in year two, showing a great nose for the ball and better eye discipline. What many don’t realize is that he played 2024 with two separated shoulders that he had minor surgery on this past winter.
I have him as one of my breakout candidates this season, and I think he has Pro Bowl potential for years to come on the back end.
#Commanders safety, Quan Martin, told us today he had surgery on both his shoulders a couple months ago. He said he separated one shoulder week 3 and the other shortly after that.
“Just want to get it taken care of now so I can be 100% going into year three” @wusa9 pic.twitter.com/6233SVz40W
— John Doran (@JohnDoranTV) April 26, 2025
Will Harris: Strong Safety
With the 81st pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, the #Lions select Will Harris, SS, Boston College.
Will Harris posted a Elite #RAS with Good size, Elite speed, Good explosiveness, Great agility at the SS position. pic.twitter.com/kdlalXfSqz
— RAS.football (@MathBomb) April 27, 2019
2024 stats:
-13 games played (13 starts)
-74 tackles
-3 TFL
-1 INT
Notes:
Harris is a versatile safety who can line up in multiple spots in the secondary. He has great reaction skills when the ball in in the air and is constantly looking to lay the lumber on receivers and running backs alike. He does a great job down in the box as an edge-setter in the run game and tight end eraser against the pass. He’s a significant upgrade to Chinn in coverage.
Percy Butler: Free Safety
2024 stats:
-17 games played (5 starts)
-47 tackles
-2 TFL
Notes:
Butler is another safety who can play all over the back end. He’s improved significantly since he was drafted in the fourth round in the 2022 draft class, and is one of just a few Ron Rivera picks who are still on the team.
Tyler Owens: Strong Safety
After his jumps at the NFL Combine, a hamstring tweak on his first 40 robbed scouts of what likely would’ve been a historic day for @TexasTechFB SAF Tyler Owens.
Below is a projected RAS score for what he might’ve put up (h/t @MathBomb).
The forty and shuttle drills are a… pic.twitter.com/H1cpiEQzCI
— Eric Galko (@EricGalko) April 4, 2024
2024 stats:
-12 games played
-11 tackles
-1 FF
Notes:
Owens is a freak athlete who showed-out during the 2024 preseason and made the 53-man roster as an undrafted free agent. He battled through some injuries last season, but showed the potential coaches saw in him when healthy. If he’s able to make strides this summer, he could see significant playing time as a dime-linebacker and backup safety. He is a special teams demon!
Jeremy Reaves: Safety
2024 stats:
-17 games played
-20 tackles
-1 FF
Notes:
Reaves, who went undrafted out of South Alabama, is a team captain who has made his mark primarily on special teams and as a back-up. He’ll remain a valuable part of the team moving forward.
Ben Nikkel: Strong Safety/Free Safety
Robert McDaniel: Strong Safety
Trey Rucker: Safety
I feel very comfortable with our two-deep heading into the 2025 season. Butler could be poised for a big year, and I think Harris is a significant coverage upgrade over Jeremy Chinn (who had some lapses in this area last season). The wild card here for me is Tyler Owens. His size, athleticism and playmaking ability could be a major factor on the back end of this defense (and as a dime linebacker). I have him listed as a strong safety, but I believe he could play both.
What intrigues me the most about this unit is the speed and athleticism. All of the projected contributors (with the exception of Reaves) are 4.4 or better guys with good versatility.
Although I would not be comfortable listing safety as a strength, I feel it is far from a weakness, and is an intriguing area to watch this summer during training camp.
Poll
How confident are you in our two-deep safety rotation heading into the summer?
73%
Somewhat confident
(45 votes)
61 votes total
Poll
How do you view the current safety group compared to last season?
47%
About the same
(27 votes)
57 votes total
Poll
Which safety will have a breakout season for the Commanders?