The Washington Commanders have been one of the most aggressive teams this offseason.
One of the biggest trades they made was for All-Pro left tackle Laremy Tunsil. Since losing Trent Williams in 2020, Washington’s left tackle play has been quite poor. Players like Geron Christian, Charles Leno Jr., and Brandon Coleman could not fill the massive hole that Williams left. Tunsil can more than live up to the bar Williams set, guarding Jayden Daniels‘ blindside.
In a division full of dominant pass rushers like Micah Parsons, Jalen Carter and Kayvon Thibodeaux, a dominant tackle was necessary to compete for the NFC East title.
In 2024, Tunsil was graded by PFF as the fourth-best pass-blocking tackle, with a grade of 88.6.
What Laremy Tunsil Brings to Washington
In 2024, Daniels was sacked 47 times— the sixth-most in the NFL. That number would be much higher if it were not for Daniels’ ability to scramble and escape from pressure. He can now let Tunsil go one-on-one with edge rushers, even against the likes of Parsons, and let the rest of the offensive line double team who they need to.
Watch him go to work against former Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett.
Penalty Concerns
While Tunsil is one of the most dominant linemen in the entire NFL, there is one thing that he struggles with— penalties.
In 2024, he committed 19 penalties, 12 of which were false starts. This is a significant issue, as no offense can thrive consistently playing behind the sticks. Last season, Washington was ranked 16th in false starts committed. If offensive line coach Bobby Johnson can get Tunsil to stop committing so many penalties, that would be game-changing to an already strong offense.
Tunsil is not oblivious to this issue. He met with the media on Monday, addressed these concerns, and knows that he needs to fix them.
What Will the 2025 Offensive Line Look Like?
It remains to be seen whether the Commanders will continue to add to their offensive line, whether through free agency, trades, or the draft.
Brandon Coleman, who started 12 games at left tackle for Washington, will likely move to right guard, as Sam Cosmi will be out for the majority of the 2025 season with a torn ACL he suffered in the NFC Divisional Round against the Lions.
Alternatively, he could switch to right tackle and Andrew Wylie, who started there in 2024, could move to right guard— a position he is familiar with after starting there for the Chiefs in 2018 and 2020.
So, for now, the 2025 offensive line looks like this:
- Left Tackle: Laremy Tunsil
- Left Guard: Nick Allegretti
- Center: Tyler Biadasz
- Right Guard: Brandon Coleman/Andrew Wylie
- Right Tackle: Brandon Coleman/Andrew Wylie
This is a really exciting time to be a Commanders fan. Now, having stability at the quarterback position, adding a player like Tunsil makes a strong offense more complete. Last season, it often felt that Daniels had to rely on his legs to escape pressure.
Now, with Tunsil protecting his blindside, Daniels will have more time to stay in the pocket and can reserve his scrambling ability when it is truly necessary.
