Feb. 15, 2026, 5:33 a.m. ET<\/p>\n
There’s no doubt the Washington Commanders<\/a> must add significant resources to their defense this offseason. The good news is that Washington has plenty of money to spend. If you asked any Washington fan, analyst, or even one of the Commanders<\/a>‘ coaches, they’d likely tell you how badly the team needs a dominant pass rusher.<\/p>\n The same could be said last offseason, too, but GM Adam Peters largely ignored the position until signing future Hall of Famer Von Miller just before training camp. The Commanders didn’t sign Miller, expecting him to be the dominant player he once was, but to provide pass-rush juice on third downs. Due to injuries, Miller played more than expected and led the team with nine sacks.<\/p>\n Miller is a free agent, and with Washington’s desire to get “younger and faster,” it’s doubtful he’ll return in 2026. The good news for the Commanders is that it’s a good year to need an edge rusher. It’s a deep draft for edge rushers and Washington holds the No. 7 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. There are also some quality pass rushers available in free agency.<\/p>\n When you look at the free-agent rankings, Trey Hendrickson often tops the list, but Jaelan Phillips is right behind him. Phillips, a 2021 first-round pick of the Miami Dolphins<\/a>, was traded to the Commanders at last season’s trade deadline. Pro Football Focus recently named the top landing spots<\/a> for the five best available edge rushers. PFF has Phillips to Washington.<\/p>\n After foregoing the opportunity to upgrade their edge defender unit last offseason, the Commanders paid the price in 2025, ranking among the NFL\u2019s lowest-graded defenses (53.7, 27th). A season-ending knee injury to\u00a0Dorance Armstrong\u00a0limited the rotation, resulting in the Commanders’ 23rd-ranked pass-rush win rate off the edge. Now, with their top pressure generators\u00a0Von Miller\u00a0and\u00a0Jacob Martin\u00a0scheduled to enter free agency, this projects as a good time to upgrade the position.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Although injuries limited his time on the field in previous seasons, Phillips showcased his talent as a pass rusher in 2025. He didn\u2019t rack up massive sack production, but he posted the seventh-highest pass-rush win rate (19.1%) among qualifying edge defenders while ranking in the 85th percentile in PFF pass-rush grade on true pass sets.<\/p>\n Expert NFL picks: Exclusive betting insights only at USA TODAY.<\/a><\/p>\n The Eagles<\/a> want to retain Phillips. They traded a third-round pick for him, and he produced. In eight games for Philadelphia, Phillips produced 28 tackles, including four for loss, two sacks, seven quarterback hits, four passes defensed and one forced fumble. Phillips earned a 77.1 pass-rush grade from PFF<\/a> in 2025. Even better, Phillips is also solid against the run, which is important for the Commanders.<\/p>\n Washington landing an impact pass-rusher and taking away a key defender from the Eagles would be a double win for the Commanders. Phillips would immediately slot in opposite Armstrong and allow the Commanders to focus on either adding a young EDGE in the first round or a key playmaker elsewhere.<\/p>\n