The NFC East Division was represented well in ESPN’s annual Top 10 position rankings for defensive tackle.
The Philadelphia Eagles saw both of their starting defensive tackles make the Top 10, with Jalen Carter at No. 3 and Jordan Davis at No. 10. Another former Eagle, New England Patriots defensive lineman Milton Williams, came in at No. 9.
The Dallas Cowboys also had both of their starting defensive tackles represented, with NFL All-Pro Quinnen Williams at No. 6 and 2-time Pro Bowler Kenny Clark receiving votes.
Another defensive tackle the Cowboys just traded away this offseason, Osi Odighizuwa, also received votes with his new team, the San Francisco 49ers.
The New York Giants were also represented — sort of — with former Giants defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence at No. 7 after he was traded to the Cincinnati Bengals in April after he was a 5-time NFL All-Pro and 3-time Pro Bowler in his 1st 7 seasons with the Giants.
The Washington Commanders, though? They got nothing. Not a player in the Top 10. Not a player in the honorable mentions. Not a player receiving votes. In al, 19 players were represented.
Just none from Washington.
That’s not for lack of trying — the Commanders are spending bigger at defensive tackle than at any other position on the field with Daron Payne (4 years, $90 million) and Javon Kinlaw (3 years, $45 million).
Commanders Might Re-Up With Daron Payne
Payne is coming off arguably the worst season of his career, which didn’t stop Bleacher Report’s Moe Moton from saying a contract extension for the 2018 1st-round pick (No. 13 overall) is the most important contract move the Commanders can make this offseason.
“One way or another, the Commanders should address Payne’s contract situation,” Moton wrote on June 20. “He hasn’t been able to match the pass-rushing production from his 2022 Pro Bowl campaign. Washington can attempt to trade him and save $22.4 million in cap space, cut him to save $17.4 million or sign him to an extension that lowers his $28 million cap number for the year. In an ideal scenario for both sides, the Commanders retain Payne at a lower cost and secure his short-term future in contract season.”
Pro Football Focus listed Payne among its Top 15 NFL Trade Candidates in January — shortly after the Commanders finished a 5-12 regular season after going 12-5 and making it to the NFC Championship Game in 2024.
“The Commanders are a team under heightened pressure in 2026 following a 5-12 campaign this past season,” PFF’s Bradley Locker wrote. “Washington must improve its defense after ranking 31st in EPA per play allowed, which might include trading Payne up front. The longtime Washington standout has declined of late, playing three straight seasons with an overall PFF grade below 61.5 … Payne is not performing to the level of his lucrative contract. Now 28 and a free agent after next season, the Commanders may shed some payroll and pursue younger upgrades.”
Javon Kinlaw Called NFL’s Worst Free-Agent Signing
Pro Football Focus singled Kinlaw out as the NFL’s worst free-agent signing in the 2025 cycle. Over the Cap’s Jason Fitzgerald gave the Commanders an “F” grade for the Kinlaw deal, which included $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.”
Like HEAVY’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
The post Commanders’ $135 Million Duo Completely Shut Out of NFL Rankings appeared first on HEAVY.