Meet the secret weapon that might rescue the Commanders’ run defense

The Washington Commanders have a secret weapon against the run in 2025. A veteran who's rarely been a full-time starter during eight years in the NFL, but one possessing the attributes head coach Dan Quinn's defense needs to get tougher on the ground.

Former New England Patriots defensive end Deatrich Wise Jr. hardly set pulses racing when he joined the Commanders on a one-year deal in free agency. The lack of fanfare was understandable, since the 30-year-old is pretty far removed from being the blue-chip edge-rusher Washington still needs.

Fortunately, Wise's lack of star power belies his hidden value.

Deatrich Wise Jr. answers underrated need for Commanders

The physical profile of 6-foot-5, 280-pound Wise "screams edge-setter," according to 106.7 The Fan's Lynnell Willingham. It's the perfect coin of phrase to describe what Wise brings to the trenches for the Commanders.

He's somebody who can play head-up over offensive tackles or guards and control the gaps on either side of his blocker. Playing two gaps isn't for everybody, but Wise learned well during his time playing for Bill Belichick with the New England Patriots.

Belichick traditionally favored longer, bulkier linemen who could occupy double teams and keep linebackers clean to run to the ball-carrier. It's a tough and thankless job, but one Wise has embraced, based on this quote:

"I'm a very powerful, strong individual. What makes me a good edge setter is I'm able to use my hands, my strength, how long my arms are to keep guys off me. ... The best thing to do is push the ball carrier back to those guys. My main job is to set the edge. If I can push it back to those guys, who are fast and physical and strong, we'll have a lot of plays being stopped"

EDeatrich Wise Jr. via ESPN

Those words should be music to the ears of Quinn and defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. They had to watch their unit get consistently pushed around on the deck last season, leading to some horrifying numbers.

The Commanders gave up 4.8 yards per rush and 14 runs of 20-plus yards. Things reached an all-time low when Washington yielded 229 yards and seven touchdowns against the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Championship game.

Part of the problem was a lack of size at the edges of the front seven. Last season's team sack leader, Dante Fowler Jr., tipped the scales at just 261 pounds, while Jonathan Allen's torn pectoral robbed the Commanders of a rugged presence along the interior.

The bigger problem was on the outside. Having a player with Wise's experience of setting the wall will go a long way toward fixing the issue.

So will the plans for an even bigger addition to an evolving defensive front.

Commanders will use increased size up front in creative ways

They took heat for shelling out big bucks on Javon Kinlaw, but the interesting way the Commanders intend to use the 6-foot-5, 319-pounder bodes well for this season's run defense. Specifically, Whitt has indicated the ex-San Francisco 49ers and New York Jets defensive tackle is set to spend ample time on the edge.

Shifting Kinlaw's massive frame to the outside will funnel more runs back to the interior, where another larger-than-life newbie, Eddie Goldman, should be waiting. He's a natural nose tackle comfortable playing over the ball and taking on multiple blockers.

Handling more double teams, no matter where they occur, is the best way to give linebackers like Bobby Wagner and Frankie Luvu clean attack lanes downhill. Kinlaw, Goldman, and Wise are the linemen best equipped physically to make this happen.

They will also afford the Commanders greater flexibility to mix and match personnel, fronts, and situational football. Quinn loves to alternate between 3-4 and 4-3 looks, and a line featuring two giant edge-setters like Wise and Kinlaw will condense the space opponents get to attack in the running game.

Experience playing defensive tackle also means Wise and Kinlaw can give the Commanders greater range for how they attack the run. More slants and run stunts, when edge defenders attack inside gaps, should become a feature of Whitt's playbook.

Wise became a hidden gem, doing all those things in New England. While his arrival in Washington didn't generate any headlines, he can be the game-changer for this suspect run defense.