The Washington Commanders‘ secondary showed noteworthy improvement in year one of the Dan Quinn era, but still struggled to slow down some of the elite passing attacks in the NFL throughout the season.
Despite the addition of Trey Amos in round two of the NFL Draft, one NFL writer has Commanders DB Quan Martin potentially becoming a household name in 2025.
Quan Martin Poised for a Breakout Year in 2025
Josh Taylor of A to Z Sports has pinpointed Washington Commanders DB Quan Martin as a player with breakout potential entering the 2025 NFL season.
“Quan Martin is the starting free safety, and heâs going to become a league-wide name this season,” wrote Taylor. “He has the potential to be one of the biggest breakouts for the defense. Martin said he played with two injured shoulders for the majority of the previous season, and him being fully healthy is huge for the secondary. He has shown his ability to read and react in the run game, but also showcased his coverage ability when he had a pick-six off a Jared Goff pass in the playoffs.”
Martin’s role as a full-time starter went well in 2025 with 81 total tackles and three forced fumbles in year two of his career. Yet, the Illinois product could just be scratching the surface of his potential in the NFL.
Dean Jones of Riggo’s Rag isn’t quite as bullish on Martin’s outlook entering year three of his career, but was the first player he named when dissecting which players could make or break the Commanders’ Super Bowl aspirations in 2025.
“Letting Jeremy Chinn walk for the Las Vegas Raiders in free agency was a calculated risk by Adam Peters. It also represented supreme confidence in Quan Martin’s hopes of becoming a genuine breakout star this season,” wrote Jones. “If he can raise his performance levels, it’ll make a significant difference. There are concerns elsewhere in the safety unit, so the onus is on Martin to set the tone and inspire others around him.”
Could Marshon Lattimore be in for a Bounce-Back Year in 2025?
The cornerback position needs to see improvement if the Commanders hope to get over the hump and return to the Super Bowl for the first in over 30 years.
One player who needs to play at a higher level is CB Marshon Lattimore, who the team acquired ahead of the trade deadline last season.
Lattimore struggled down the stretch against No. 1 WRs like Mike Evans and A.J. Brown, which is not what they intended when they acquired the veteran corner from the New Orleans Saints.
Joel Corry of CBS Sports believes Lattimore could be a bounce-back candidate in 2025.
“A hamstring injury sidelined Lattimore for the first four games after the trade. Lattimore, who was still bothered by his hamstring, had rough outings against A.J. Brown and Mike Evans in the playoffs when the Commanders faced the Philadelphia Eagles and Tampa Bay Buccaneers,” wrote Corry. “The expectation is for a healthy Lattimore to regain the form that led to four Pro Bowl berths in eight NFL seasons. If that doesn’t happen, the Commanders could start regretting the trade.”
Trey Amos and Mike Sainristil are expected to be big contributors to the Commanders’ secondary too, but a healthy Lattimore could be the difference between a deep playoff push or an early exit in 2025.
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