The Washington Commanders went into the offseason with a major need at cornerback. Washington had good cornerbacks on the roster in Kendall Fuller and Benjamin St-Juste, with veteran Danny Johnson as a backup. Still, the Commanders needed to add another starting-quality corner to the roster.
So when the Minnesota Vikings released former third-round pick Cameron Dantzler just ahead of free agency, the Commanders pounced and claimed Dantzler.
Washington fans weren’t quite sure what they were getting in Dantzler. If he were good, why would a team needing plenty of defensive help cut him?
After a promising start to his rookie season in 2020, the 6-foot-2 Dantzler apparently fell out of favor with former head coach Mike Zimmer. Zimmer was gone after the 2021 season, giving Dantzler a new lease on life with the Vikings in 2022.
For one reason or another, things didn’t work, and the Vikings released Dantzler on March 10.
In Dantzler’s final season at Mississippi State in 2019, he showed enough promise for the Vikings to select him at No. 89 overall.
One game stood out from Dantzler’s final season in Starkville. In 2019, Dantzler’s Bulldogs faced undefeated and eventual national champion LSU. That LSU team is arguably one of the greatest of all time, featuring quarterback Joe Burrow and wide receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson. Chase and Jefferson are unquestionably two of the top five receivers in the NFL.
It was on that day that the NFL took notice of Dantzler. Chase, who had an amazing nine games of at least 123 receiving yards or more, finished that game with five receptions for 48 yards. It was the only game that season in which he averaged less than 10 yards per reception.
According to Zach Selby of commanders.com, Dantzler lined up opposite Chase 12 times that day. Chase caught one pass while Dantzler broke up two other attempts.
While that game was over three years ago, it shows Dantzler’s potential. Now it will be up to the Commanders to unlock that potential.