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Why Washington Commanders Front Seven Has Two Breakout Candidates
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- Why Washington Commanders Front Seven Has Two Breakout Candidates
(David Butler II-Imagn Images)
Washington 's front seven was not the reason this defense ranked last in the NFL in 2025. The secondary was the problem, the linebacker depth was thin, and the pass rush was almost non-existent after multiple injuries to both starters and rotational players. Adam Peters spent the entire offseason fixing all three — and the two most underrated additions in the front seven didn't require a first-round pick or a massive contract. Leo Chenal and K'Lavon Chaisson quietly signed in March, and both of them have legitimate cases as the most important breakout candidates on Washington 's entire defense in 2026.
Leo Chenal — Finally Due For More Snaps
Chenal is 25 years old, 6-foot-3, 250 pounds, and has spent four seasons in Kansas City as one of the best backup linebackers in the league without ever getting the full-time snap count his play deserved. He appeared in 65 career games, made 44 starts, and compiled 193 total tackles, seven sacks, 16 quarterback hits, three forced fumbles, and one interception. He was also named a Pro Bowl alternate in 2025. The problem was never the ability — it was the opportunity. Kansas City's defense has one of the best linebackers in the NFL in Nick Burton, which is why Chenal never saw more than 500 defensive snaps in a season. He never played more than 53% of available defensive time.
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Washington changes that entirely. Chenal signed a three-year, $24.75 million deal and walks into a linebacker room where Daronte Jones is installing a new 3-4 or 4-3 scheme alongside rookie first-round pick Sonny Styles . That pairing is significant. The optimism around Chenal is tied directly to the snaps he'll now receive — and to the fact that he'll be lining up next to Styles, whose athleticism and coverage ability frees Chenal to play closer to the line of scrimmage where he does his best work. Chenal is a defender who can play off-the-ball, insert into the front, or even line up as a stand-up defensive tackle — exactly the kind of versatility Daronte Jones builds entire defensive gameplans around.
His run defense has always been the calling card. In 2025, he posted 58 tackles and two sacks in 14 games despite playing limited snaps. In 2024, he had 60 tackles and three forced fumbles. In a full-time role in 2026 — the projection is straightforward. Bleacher Report called him the best available linebacker in free agency. A full-season snap count, a scheme that uses his versatility, and a rookie running mate who covers for his limitations add up to a breakout year that should have the rest of the NFC paying attention by October.
K'Lavon Chaisson — Coming Off A Career Year
The story of K'Lavon Chaisson is one of the most complicated in recent NFL history. Jacksonville took him 20th overall in 2020 out of LSU, where he was a national champion and first-team All-SEC edge rusher. Four seasons with the Jaguars produced just five sacks across 11 starts. Four different head coaches in four years. The NFL was ready to move on. Chaisson wasn't. He signed a one-year, $2.5 million deal with Carolina in 2024, got cut before a game, landed with the Raiders, produced five sacks in limited action in the second half of the season, and then signed a one-year, $3 million deal with New England .
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What happened in New England is why Washington paid $11 million to bring him to Ashburn. In 2025, Chaisson set career highs across every meaningful pass-rushing metric — 7.5 sacks, 10 tackles for loss, 18 quarterback hits, and two forced fumbles in 16 regular-season games. He added another three sacks in four playoff games, including starts in the Wild Card round and AFC Championship Game. Bleacher Report's Kristopher Knox specifically named Chaisson one of a handful of edge rushers primed for an even bigger year in 2026, citing "a slow buildup to a breakout season" that finally crested in New England. Knox projected that Chaisson could push toward ten-plus sacks if he lands in the right situation. Washington is the right situation.
Pairing Chaisson opposite Odafe Oweh — who had ten sacks with Baltimore in 2024 — gives Daronte Jones one of the most underrated edge rushing duos in the NFC. When a defense presents two legitimate pass-rush threats off the edge, offensive coordinators can no longer slide protection toward one side and neutralize the pass rush. Chaisson benefits from Oweh's presence. Oweh benefits from Chaisson's. And a Washington front that couldn't generate consistent pressure a year ago suddenly has the tools to make life miserable for every quarterback on the 2026 schedule. Chaisson has been building toward this for six years. The arrival is overdue — and this time, the circumstances are finally right.
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