Defensive tackle is one of the few stacked positions for the Washington Commanders, but new head coach Dan Quinn is still “impressed” by a forgotten member of the rotation, Phidarian Mathis.
The latter has had difficulty getting onto the field since being taken in the second round of the 2022 NFL draft, but Mathis has been winning Quinn over at this year’s training camp. Quinn admitted he’s “really been impressed by Phil…He’s just a guy that’s not going to miss this opportunity,” per JP Finlay of NBC4 Sports.
Making the most of his opportunity will be an uphill battle for Mathis because the former Alabama standout faces heavy competition for snaps. Not least from this year’s second-rounder Jer’Zhan ‘Johnny’ Newton, who’s healthy at camp.
Newton is just one of many useful D-tackles at the disposal of Quinn and defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. So Mathis, who’s appeared in just 11 games since tearing his meniscus during his NFL debut against the Jacksonville Jaguars, needs to continue making a good impression.
Phidarian Mathis Facing Tough Competition
The depth chart for the interior of the defensive line is headlined by Mathis’ fellow former Crimson Tide alumni Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne. Both are Pro Bowlers and can be game-wreckers against the run and the pass, although something has been missing in recent seasons.
Perhaps Newton can provide the spark after establishing himself as a lively pass-rusher from multiple spots for Illinois. The 21-year-old topped all defensive tackles with 102 pressures the last two years, according to PFF College.
Newton had been dealing with foot injuries and subsequent surgeries, so the Commanders got a boost when he was “activated from the active/non-football injury list” in time for camp, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Newton’s a good fit for the active scheme Quinn prefers, a blueprint based around rotating flexible pass-rushers onto the field in waves. There’s still room for a run-stuffer, but even that role might not go to Mathis when 321-pounder John Ridgeway III remains on the roster.
All of the available tackles must get up to speed in Quinn’s faster brand of defense.
Dan Quinn’s Had Success With Multiple Defensive Tackles
Quick and relentless tackles have long been at the heart of Quinn’s defenses. Players like Clinton McDonald, who was a useful interior pass-rusher for the legendary 2013 defense that helped the Seattle Seahawks win a Super Bowl.
The same role was adopted by Grady Jarrett when Quinn was in charge of the Atlanta Falcons. Jarrett became a second-team All-Pro on Quinn’s watch.
Quinn subsequently made Osa Odighizuwa and Johnathan Hankins features inside for his units with the Dallas Cowboys. Odighizuwa thrived in a system that played to his strengths and ignored the 6-foot-2, 280-pounder’s relative lack of size.
Instead, Odighizuwa was often shifted into gaps between guards and offensive tackles. No. 97 also had the freedom to run stunts, slants, twists and games to exploit a single blocker, like when Odighizuwa slanted across the face of right guard Spencer Burford and created this pressure against the San Francisco 49ers, highlighted by Aaron Day of DLineVids.
All of the interior lineman on Washington’s defense, including Mathis, can expect to be put in positions to help make them more disruptive. Mathis logged nine sacks during his final season at Tuscaloosa, so he can handle a situational role in Quinn’s defense if he continues to catch the eye.
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