It’s understandable to be a little worried about what the Washington Commanders have planned at edge rusher for 2025, if only because it seems like there is no plan at this point.
While the Commanders could still use the No. 29 overall pick in the first round of the 2025 NFL draft on an edge rusher, a Super Bowl contender pinning its pass rushing hopes on a rookie doesn’t seem viable.
That’s why Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox thinks the Commanders should make a move to sign free agent edge rusher DeMarcus Walker, who was released by the Chicago Bears in a salary cap move on February 21.
“The Washington Commanders lost pass-rusher Dante Fowler Jr. to the Cowboys in free agency,” Knox wrote. “While Washington added Jacob Martin and Deatrich Wise to help replace Fowler, it could stand to bring in another pass-rusher. Adding Martin’s former Chicago Bears teammate DeMarcus Walker would be a sound move. Walker logged 3.5 sacks and 23 quarterback pressures while starting all 17 games for the Bears last season.”
Fowler was the key to the Commanders’ pass rush in 2024 as he led the team with 10.5 sacks as the team went 12-5 in the regular season and advanced to the NFC Championship Game for the first time since 1991. As a team, Washington was 12th in the NFL with 43.0 sacks.
Commanders Spent Big on Interior DL in Free Agency
The Commanders did make a splash on the defensive front in free agency — just not at edge rusher.
Washington dropped a 3-year, $45 million free agent contract on underperforming defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw despite already having 2 viable starters on the interior defensive line with Daron Payne and Jer’Zhan Newton.
Over the Cap’s Jason Fitzgerald gave the Commanders an “F” grade for the Kinlaw deal, which includes $30 million in guaranteed money.
“Most contracts in the NFL have some level of justification … this does not,” Fitzgerald wrote. “The Jets signing Kinlaw at $7.5M was a bad one last year and this just blows that away. 3 years, $45 million with $30 million full at signing. Insane. Teams that do stuff like this because they have cap room often wind up a mess in a year or two because the cap room is gone and they wonder why they have some of these contracts on the books. On paper this is the worst signing of the early free agency period.”
Walker Became Steady Presence After Slow NFL Start
Walker was a second round pick (No. 51 overall) by the Denver Broncos out of Florida State in the 2017 NFL draft but was a non-factor for his first 2 seasons when he only played in 13 games with 2.0 sacks.
Walker had 8.5 sacks over his last 2 seasons with the Broncos before playing with the Houston Texans on a 1-year contract in 2021 and a 1-year contract with the Tennessee Titans in 2022, where he had a career high 7.0 sacks.
Walker turned his career year with the Titans into his biggest NFL payday, signing a 3-year, $21 million contract with the Bears in March 2023. Walker became a full time starter for the first time in his career in Chicago with 77 tackles, 7.0 sacks, 16 TFL and 32 QB hits over 34 games the last 2 seasons.
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