Daronte Jones "Thoughtful" in Install of Commanders 2026 Defense

The changes on the offensive side of the ball have drawn a lot of talk through the first two days of OTAs with quarterback Jayden Daniels downplaying the shift from Kliff Kingsbury's tempo offense to David Blough's under center approach, but the defense is working through its own changes with new defensive coordinator Daronte Jones laying the foundation for the new and hopeful improved defense in 2026.

Defensive lineman Javon Kinlaw described the Commanders' defense in practice as "aggressive" and "physical" as the new pieces begin to mesh with the returners.

"A lot of guys flying around, a lot of moving parts, it’s going to be fun," Kinlaw said.

It helps that head coach Dan Quinn praised Jones for how he's installed his scheme before adding, "he's thoughtful about it."

NFL rules limit how involved teams can be during OTAs with no pads or live contact allowed while 7-on-7, 9-on-7 and 11-on-11 non-contact drills are allowed. Still, that practice limitation hinders how involved the defense can be but the chance to "lay the bricks," as defensive lineman Javon Kinlaw called it, stems from the preparation through film onto the white board ahead of practices.

"You try to understand the coach’s side of it, why things are called a certain way," cornerback Mike Sainristil said. "You just want to ask questions. And then you do your film study, watch what they did where he was at [with Minnesota], and then put yourself in different spots while you’re watching film just so you can understand I might be here, I might be there."

That approach is necessary given the versatility that Jones is asking not just out of his secondary, but the defense. While Sainristil admitted he hasn't been told whether he will line up as primarily an outside or nickel corner in the new defensive scheme, lining up in multiple spots has been the point of emphasis through the first round of OTAs.

This week has given the staff a chance to install parts of their schemes each week with a chance to "get all those on tape and taught" ahead of training camp. Yet what the defense can prove is beyond the pads with a chance for the blend of new and returning pieces to begin picking up what's expected to be an aggressive, multiple scheme under Jones. While all eyes are on how linebackers Leo Chenal and Sonny Styles transition into impact pieces, it was Frankie Luvu who reportedly had the 'green dot' in practice as head coach Dan Quinn previously indicated multiple players were capable of drawing that honor in practice.

Still, Quinn knows what he wants to see from his defense over the next month.

"What we're trying to get across [is] are you in the right spot? In other words, if I was guarding you and you had four or five yards of separation, you've won that rep. I may not be able to close and get the ball out, but can we match? Can we shadow people? What can we do in that?"

"What I think you'll see is on the speed elements of the pass plays, that's what I'm looking for - game speed, full, no collisions. The big guys, they won't be hitting it at full speed. That one is more at a controlled tempo. Are they in the right fits defensively? Are they hitting the right targets? But for the perimeter, we really want to see the speed, even though it's not combative with the ball in the air."

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