How Good Were the Commanders’ Edge Defenders at Stopping the Run and Pressuring the Passer in 2024?

NFC Divisional Playoffs: Washington Commanders v Detroit Lions — Photo by Brooke Sutton/Getty Images

Examining the weakest part of Washington’s unexpectedly strong game: Part 4 of 4

As training camp gets under way, the revamped defensive line has been getting a fair amount of attention. Rightly so, since rushing defense was the Commanders’ biggest last season. The teams’ offseason moves sent a clear signal that the defensive line would be a key area for improvement. There are also concerns about the pass rush, since last year’s sack leader Dante Fowler was allowed to walk with only low key additions brought in to replace him.

This four part series is examining the strengths and weaknesses of the Commanders’ DL in 2024. The first two articles focused exclusively on run defense. The results pointed toward the Right Defensive End position as the weak link in run defense. The left side of the DL was generally stronger in run defense than the right side, with the left edge standing out as the strong point.

This article concludes the series by examining the individual performances of the Commanders’ Edge Defenders (EDs) in 2024. It will attempt to shed light on which player(s) was the weak link in run defense, and whether we can expect the new additions to shore up that vulnerability and replace Dante Fowler’s production in the pass rush.

In case you missed the previous articles or want to refer back to them, here is the full set:

Where Did Opposing RBs Have the Most Success Against the 2024 Commanders?
Who Played Where on the 2024 Commanders’ DL?
How Good Were the Interior Defenders at Stopping the Run and Pressuring the QB?
How Good Were the Edge Defenders at Stopping the Run and Pressuring the QB?

Defensive Performance Metrics

This article uses the same metrics to quantify defensive performance as the previous article on the iDL. Run defense performance was measured by Run Stop Rate, which is the percentage of rushing downs on which a defender made a Stop. Pass rush performance was measured by Pressure Rate, which is the percentage of pass rush snaps on which the defender pressured the QB. The rationale for these metrics and technical details is provided in the previous article.

Since these metrics are likely to be less familiar than traditional production stats, the following reference ranges are provided to give readers a sense of what the numbers mean. The sample is the 64 Edge Defenders who logged the most playing time in 2024, which is intended to approximate the NFL starters.

2024 ED Run Stop Rates

Maximum: 13.8%, Pat Jones II, Vikings

Top 10%: 8.8%, Zaven Collins, Cardinals

Top Quartile: 7.5% Will Anderson, Texans

Median: 5.65% Myles Garrett/Charles Snowden

Bottom Quartile: 4.75% Za’Darius Smith/Clelin Ferrell

Minimum: 2.4% Derrick Hall, Seahawks

2024 ED Pressure Rates

Maximum: 17.4%, Myles Garrett, Browns

Top 10%: 16.3%, Chop Robinson, Dolphins

Top Quartile: 13.2% Danielle Hunter, Texans

Median: 11.8% Nolan Smith, Eagles

Bottom Quartile: 9.5% Kwity Paye/Arden Key

Minimum: 5.5% A.J. Epenesa, Bills

How Did the Commanders EDs Stack Up? – Starters

Three Commanders started nine or more games in ED roles in 2024. Dorance Armstrong and Clelin Ferrell played more or less traditional 4-3 DE roles on the left and right side, respectively. Dante Fowler started 10 games in a hybrid DE/OLB role, spending 55% of snaps on the right edge and 45% on the left.

The right edge was the Commanders’ biggest weakness in run defense, so let’s start there. ED run stop performance was ranked out 130 players with more than 20% of maximum run defense snaps. Pass rush performance was ranked out of 119 players with more than 20% of max pass rush snaps. Performance was also compared to the reference ranges for starting EDs listed above.

RDE Clelin Ferrell | 6’ 4” | 265 lbs

Age: 28 | Exp: 7 yrs | 2025 cap: $1.88M

2024 Run Stop Rate: 4.7%, Rank: 93/130 | Pressure Rate: 9.0%, Rank: 81/119

Ferrell was a cheap FA addition, signed to a 1 yr, $3.75M deal last offseason to plug the gap left by trading RDE Chase Young. He struggled all season with a nagging injury suffered in the season opener, missing three games, and playing fewer than 25 snaps in six others.

Ferrell posted the lowest Run Stop Rate of any of Washington’s EDs, aside from occasional backup Efe Obada. His 4.7% Run Stop Rate was near the lower end of all NFL EDs and placed him at the cutoff for the bottom quartile of starters. This was not an anomaly or an obvious slump due to injury. Since his first two NFL seasons, he has been below average in run defense at his position.

Ferrell’s pass rush performance also placed him in the bottom quartile of starting EDs. He posted the lowest figure of the Commanders’ starting EDs. He was only better at pressuring the QB than rookie Javontae Jean-Baptiste, among Commanders EDs who played enough snaps to post reportable numbers.

Ferrell’s weakness in run defense makes him a prime suspect as the cause of the Commanders’ vulnerability to runs around the left end of the offensive line. But let’s see how the other EDs compare before jumping to any conclusions.

RDE/OLB Dante Fowler Jr | 6’ 3” | 261 lbs | RAS 6.97

Age: 30 | Exp: 9 yrs | 2025 cap: $6M Cowboys

2024 Run Stop Rate: 5.8%, Rank: 56/130 | Pressure Rate: 12.9%, Rank: 27/124

Fowler has never lived up to expectations after being drafted 3^rd overall by the Jaguars in 2016. He had a bit of a career renaissance as a pass rusher after joining Dan Quinn with the Cowboys in 2022. He followed Quinn to the Commanders and packed a lot of punch on one year, $4.875M deal with earned bonuses.

Fowler has developed a reputation on Hogs Haven as being the weak link in the Commanders’ run defense. Is that fair?

Fowler played more time at ED than Ferrell, but his snaps were split 55% to 45% between left and right edges, resulting in a smaller share of snaps on the right edge where the run defense was weakest. Nevertheless, it remains possible that he was the key vulnerability.

Fowler has always been a better pass rusher than a run stopper. Nevertheless, his 5.8% Run Stop Rate was second best of the Commanders’ DEs with reportable numbers. He ranked 56^th among 130 qualifying EDs, and was slightly above median for starters at his position. He did have an alarmingly high rate of missed tackles, while also leading the team in TFL.

Fowler was stronger at stopping the run than his main time share partner at RDE, and he also played the second most snaps of any DE on the left end, where the run defense was the strongest. Therefore, it doesn’t seem likely that he was the weak link in run defense. But I suppose we can’t conclusively rule out the possibility that opponents targeted him when he was on the field, but only when he lined up on the right side of the DL.

Where Fowler’s production might be missed the most is in the pass rush. Fowler led the entire DL, and was second on the team in Pressure Rate, after LB Frankie Luvu (Pressure Rate 15.7%). He also led the team in sacks, recording two more than Luvu in second place. Fowler’s 12.9% Pressure Rate ranked above median for starting EDs, but fell a little short of the top quartile. He was very good at converting pressures to sacks.

LDE Dorance Armstrong Jr | 6’ 4” | 255 lbs | RAS 5.89

Age: 28 | Exp: 7 yrs | 2025 cap: $10.2M

2024 Run Stop Rate: 6.6%, Rank: 42/130 | Pressure Rate: 11.3%, Rank: 52/124

Armstrong was a fourth round pick by the Cowboys in 2018. He was a rotational player behind established starters throughout his time in Dallas and followed DQ to DC where he had the opportunity to start for the first time in his career. Armstrong has always been a decent run defender, but was slower to develop as a pass rusher.

Armstrong led the Commanders’ ED group in Run Stop Rate in 2024. His 6.6% Run Stop Rate was above median for starting EDs and placed him in the second quartile at his position.

In the pass rush, Armstrong’s Pressure Rate was just a little below median for starting EDs.

Overall, Armstrong ranks as a middle of the pack starter, commensurate with his contract which ranks 29^th among EDs in APY according to OverTheCap.

Washington Commanders v Cincinnati Bengals

How Did the Commanders EDs Stack Up? – Rotational Players

The starting EDs were relieved in rotation by rookie Javontae Jean-Baptiste, and veterans Jalyn Holmes, Efe Obada and Andre Jones. Obada and Jones did not play enough snaps to post reportable numbers. A few of the DTs took snaps at DE, but they mainly aligned at 5-tech, not beyond the tackles where Joe Whitt mainly deploys his edge rushers.

DE Javontae Jean-Baptiste | 6’ 5” | 260 lbs | RAS 9.18

Age: 25 | Exp: Rookie | 2025 cap: $990K

2024 Run Stop Rate: 5.4%, Rank: 73/130 | Pressure Rate: 5.6%, Rank: 75/116

Jean-Baptiste was Adam Peters’ last pick in the 2024 draft, and is the most athletic of the team’s edge rushers. While his numbers were not eye popping, they are not bad for a seventh round pick. Despite spending five games on IR, Jean-Baptiste played the third most defensive or offensive snaps of rookies drafted in the seventh round. He ranked 7^th in the ED draft class in defensive stops and tackles, and 12^th in QB pressures.

Compared to the rest of the league, Jean-Baptiste’s rookie stats were modest. He ranked below median of qualifying EDs in Run Stop Rate and Pressure Rate. But he is young and has upside to develop. He did not play enough to take any blame for the Commanders’ weakness in run defense.

LDE Jalyn Holmes | 6’ 5” | 283 lbs | RAS 6.82

Age: 29 | Exp: 7 yrs | 2025 cap: $1.2M

2024 Run Stop Rate: 6.2%, Rank: 51/130 | Pressure Rate: 9.4%, Rank: 75/119

Holmes is one of the least known regular contributors on the 2024 Commanders. He provided good value as a cheap, mid-season replacement to shore up the DL following the Week 6 Ravens game, when Jonathan Allen and Javontae Jean-Baptiste were both sent to IR.

Holmes was drafted 102^nd overall by the Vikings in 2018 and has spent time as a rotational player with four NFL teams. He is a tweener, who has switched between DT and ED with different teams. With the Commanders in 2024, he played 91% of his defensive snaps at ED, and 73.1% aligned wide of the OT.

Performance metrics are reported for his entire 2024 season, which was split 69%:31% between Commanders and Jets.

Holmes had the worst season of his career in run defense, but was still the second most productive run stopper of the Commanders’ DEs. His Run Stop Rate was above median for all EDs who met the minimum playing time criterion, and was also above median for NFL starters.

Holmes has previously been a better run defender than pass rusher. He posted the best Pressure Rate of his career last season, but still ranked closer to the bottom than the top of NFL EDs as a pass rusher.

How Did the Commanders EDs Stack Up? – New Additions

OLB Von Miller | 6’ 3” | 250 lbs | RAS 9.97

Age: 36 | Exp: 13 yrs | 2025 cap: $6.1M+

2024 Run Stop Rate: 8.7%, Rank: NR | Pressure Rate: 16.1%, Rank: 9/119

Von Miller was signed last week, and his addition changes the complexion of the ED group. Miller was drafted by the Broncos in 2011, when Adam Peters was a national scout with the team. He was named to 7 All Pro teams between 2011 and 2018. Following an ankle injury in 2020, he transitioned from full time OLB to a pass rush specialist role. His total sack counts have declined since his All Pro days, but his productivity when he is on the field has remained at a very high level, even at age 36.

Miller only played 70 run defense snaps in 2024, compared to 249 pass rush snaps. When he was on the field, he was a highly effective run stopper. His 8.7% Run Stop Rate, was higher than any player on the Commanders’ DL who played a minimum of 50 run defense snaps last season, not just the EDs. Had he not fallen short of the minimum playing time requirement, he would have ranked 17^th among 130 NFL EDs. His Run Stop Rate would place him just outside the top 10% of NFL starters.

While he might have lost a step with age, Miller remains a highly athletic and technically masterful pass rusher. His 16.1% Pressure Rate in 2024 sat just below the range for elite starting EDs and ranked 9^th out of 119 qualifying players at his position.

Miller’s role with the Commanders is likely be similar to his usage in Buffalo. If he can continue to defy age for another season, he can upgrade the defense in both phases on passing downs.

DE Deatrich Wise| 6’ 5” | 271 lbs | RAS 8.18

Age: 31 | Exp: 8 yrs | 2025 cap: $3.16M

2024 Run Stop Rate: 4.3%, Rank: 102/130 | Pressure Rate: 7.4%, Rank: 102/119

Wise is a stout DE who took a roughly equal mix of snaps on the edge and interior (3-tech/5-tech) in 8 seasons with the Patriots. Wise started his career as a heavily used rotational player, and became a full time starter briefly between 2021 and 2023. For most of his career, he has been better in run defense than the pass rush.

Wise peaked as a run defender in 2021 with a 9.1% Run Stop Rate, which ranked 5^th among full time starters. He has dropped to about half that over the past three seasons. His 4.3% Run Stop Rate in 2024 put him in the bottom quartile of EDs. At this point in his career, he might be more of an edge setter than a defender who makes plays on the ball

Aside from his peak in 2019, Wise has always been below average for a starting ED at pressuring the QB. His Pressure Rate has dropped over the past three seasons. In 2024, he ranked in the bottom quartile of the league.

Wise seems to be past his peak as a run defender, and has seldom been much of a force in the pass rush. He will be fighting with younger players to earn playing time at DE.

DE Jacob Martin | 6’ 2” | 242 lbs | RAS 8.3

Age: 29 | Exp: 7 yrs | 2025 cap: $2.4M

2024 Run Stop Rate: 9.3%, Rank: 10/130 | Pressure Rate: 13.5%, Rank: 20/119

Jacob Martin was drafted by the Seahawks in 2018, and has spent time with six NFL teams. He has posted good pass rushing numbers in limited playing time as a rotational DE. But he only ever earned a starting role for one season with the Texans.

In 2024, Martin posted a Pressure Rate of 13.5%, which ranked in the top 20% of EDs. While he only played 126 pass rush snaps, that figure wasn’t an anomaly. He has consistently achieved pressure rates above 12% throughout most of his career. For comparison, his pressure rate was higher than any of the 2024 Commanders’ EDs, including Dante Fowler (12.9%).

Martin also posted an impressive Run Stop Rate for an ED. That figure might be anomalous, since it was a career outlier, and he only played 88 snaps in run defense. If he can duplicate that performance, however, he might be able to help upgrade the run defense on the right end of the DL.

Martin appears to have been signed as a cheap stop-gap to fill the designated pass rusher role that Dante Fowler vacated. The recent signing of Von Miller might have made it harder for him to stick on the final 53. But he has an intriguing skillset which gives him a chance to earn a role in the DE rotation.

Philadelphia Eagles v Washington Commanders

TLDR/Conclusions

The Commanders had a major weakness in run defense on the right edge last season, and were particularly strong at defending runs on the left edge.

The right end was predominantly defended by Clelin Ferrell and Dante Fowler, supported by other rotational players. Ferrell was a weak run stopper, as he has been for the past four years. In contrast, Fowler posted league-average Run Stop Rate figures for his position. He also split time on the left end where run defense was a strength. It appears that Clelin Ferrell was the weak link in the Commanders’ run defense in 2024, and is the man to beat as the Commanders look to improve on defense in 2025.

Dorance Armstrong was the primary starter on the left edge, where run defense was strongest. Not surprisingly, Armstrong was the strongest run defender of the Commanders’ EDs, and posted above average run stop figures for the position.

Players in the mix to upgrade the right ED position include second year DE Javontae Jean-Baptiste, returning vet Jalyn Holmes and newcomers Von Miller, Deatrich Wise and Jacob Martin.

Miller has continued to play at a high level as a situational pass rusher late into his thirties. If he can defy father time for another year, he has potential to significantly upgrade the pass rush and run defense on passing downs.

Jean-Baptiste has exceptional athleticism, but needs to develop his skillset at the position. Earning playing time as a seventh round rookie is encouraging, but it is difficult to predict how a late round draft pick will develop.

Martin has an intriguing skillset, which begs the question why he hasn’t earned more playing time. Holmes and Wise are likely competing for roster spots as rotational players. Their abilities to upgrade the run defense could well decide who makes the final roster.