Heading into the 2025 season, the Washington Commanders do not have a single cornerback who was with the club in 2023. And that's a good thing.
All three corners drafted by Ron Rivera — Emmanuel Forbes Jr., Christian Holmes, and Benjamin St-Juste — departed after undistinguished careers in D.C.
Again, that's a good thing.
Adam Peters and Dan Quinn have restocked the cornerback room with draft picks, free agents, and one key trade acquisition. The results have constituted an improvement over what they inherited, but just how big an improvement remains to be seen.
This season should go a long way toward answering questions about the Commanders' cornerbacks. Are they a unit on the rise, or do they still have major holes that need to be addressed? Each player who figures into Washington’s defensive plans in a meaningful way enters the season with at least one major question.
Health will be key for Commanders' cornerbacks to flourish in 2025
Marshon Lattimore begins the season as the Commanders’ alpha corner. At his best, he is a genuine boundary defender who can shut down the opponent’s best receiver. He is a four-time Pro Bowler who has yet to turn 30 years old. On any roster, that is a star player.
However, the last of those Pro Bowl trips came in 2021. Since then, he has played just 26 games out of a possible 51. Injuries have been a constant drag over the past several seasons. Last year, when he returned late in the campaign, Lattimore did not look anywhere near peak form.
When Peters traded for the former New Orleans standout, he made it very clear that it was not simply a short-term rental. He probably wouldn't have done the deal had Lattimore not been under contract for 2025. Now that the year is upon us, it is time to see if those injuries were a minor detour or whether the veteran is wearing down and incapable of playing to his previous level.
The opposite boundary corner should be rookie Trey Amos. Peters was delighted to snag the Ole Miss product in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft. He has the size, speed, and ball skills you look for in an elite outside option.
There would be natural concerns about any rookie entering the league, especially at such a demanding position as boundary cornerback. With Amos, that concern is magnified by the back injury, which led to his slide in the draft.
In time, he should be a very solid addition.
There are no such questions about second-year corner Mike Sainristil. He is a star in the making.
The only thing that could realistically hold him back is if Quinn and Joe Whitt Jr. do not get good play out of Lattimore and Amos. Sainristil was forced to play outside last season, where his lack of size and inability to use his all-field vision were hindrances. In other words, he can play outside, but he shouldn't. He is a slot corner who can use his toughness to attack the line while remaining able to drop into coverage if necessary.
Veteran free-agent signing Jonathan Jones plays a lot like an older version of Sainristil. He is at his best in the slot, but has the coverage skills to move outside when needed. The only real question is whether his age is slowing him down.
If the top three corners play as expected, Jones should not be called on to play a ton of snaps. He can simply provide quality relief for the starters.
That is largely true for Noah Igbinoghene as well. He seems to have a good relationship with the former Dallas coaches. Last year, he played key snaps for the Commanders, both outside and in the slot.
Like Jones, he should provide quality support. The only major question is if Igbinoghene is forced to play more starting snaps due to injury or poor performance.
Those five players are probably roster locks. Washington is likely to keep one more cornerback on the 53-man roster, with a couple more stashed on the practice squad. There should be good competition for that final place.
Kevon Seymour and Bobby Price offer experience. Fentrell Cypress II, Allan George, and Car’lin Vigers are intriguing developmental players.
Cypress and Vigers were signed as undrafted free agents by Peters. George was snapped up after spending a few years with the Cincinnati Bengals, mostly on the practice squad.
At this point, the safe bet would be on the veteran Seymour to stick on the 53-man roster, with a couple of the younger players being signed to the practice squad. But that could all change at training camp and the preseason.
Washington knows what it has in Sainristil, Jones, and Igbinoghene. All have very good value, with the former second-round pick out of Michigan on the verge of greatness. But none are elite perimeter man cover corners.
Lattimore and Amos are, and much of the Commanders' defensive success in 2025 will depend on them staying healthy and playing up to their lofty potential.