Projecting the Washington Commanders depth chart for the 2024 NFL Season
By Hunter Noll
Washington Commanders Safeties
The Washington Commanders have an exciting safety group. There's a good mixture of talent, youth, veterans, and playmakers.
Starters: Darrick Forrest, Jeremy Chinn
Darrick Forrest emerged in 2022 as a legitimate safety for the Commanders. He was a big hitter, a ball hawk, and a solid tackler. However, he only appeared in five games in 2023 due to injury. That halted his momentum.
Forrest is back in 2024 and should remind everyone of the excitement he brought in 2022. This will be a massive return for Washington, who had some issues with their secondary last year.
Jeremy Chinn is a new addition from this offseason. The former Carolina Panther had massive seasons to start his career in 2020 and 2021. However, his 2022 and 2023 seasons were largely disappointing.
The Commanders are hoping a change of scenery can bring back some of that magic.
Backups: Quan Martin, Jeremy Reaves, Percy Butler
Quan Martin could be a special talent. We saw glimpses of that last season. In his rookie campaign, Martin was one of the true playmakers on Washington's defense. Given a year to grow, this could be fun.
Jeremy Reaves didn't play much in 2023 but showed in 2022 that he can be an adequate defensive back if needed.
Percy Butler is fast. He also enjoyed an impressive second season. If the Commanders need to rely on him, we could see a decent breakout campaign.
Others in line: Dominique Hampton, Tyler Owens, Ben Nikkel
Ben Nikkel and Tyler Owens are undrafted rookies. They already have an uphill battle if they want to make the roster, and now they have to compete with each other as well.
Dominique Hampton was a fifth-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. He has the athleticism, size, speed, and tackling ability to contribute right away. Hopefully, the Commanders won't need him to, though.