The article explores the 2025 edge defender draft class as the Commanders seek to address their defensive shortcomings, particularly in run defense. While the team's offense showed promise with rookie QB Jayden Daniels, their defense struggled, notably ranking poorly against the run. Despite a strong pass defense, the Commanders finished 30th in yards allowed on the ground. Edge defenders play a pivotal role in run defense, and the article advocates for utilizing draft resources on a pass rusher who can also excel at stopping the run.
With the draft quickly approaching, edge rusher is frequently singled out as a top need for the Commanders to address early in the draft.
Setting an effective edge funnels running backs to the middle of the field for other defenders to clean up and prevents big gains outside.
The best edge defenders in the league disrupt running plays in the backfield and pile up tackles for loss.
I will be using a Run Stop Rate as performance metric for run defense, defined as a tackle causing failure of the offensive play.
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