The Washington Commanders' 2025 season ended earlier this month with a 24-17 win over the Philadelphia Eagles. They finished with a 5-12 record -- a dramatic slump compared to the 12-5 run in 2024 -- and they're set to spend the next few months trying to build up and improve the roster to reclaim that success.

Though we don't have any say in how the new front office will mold the team going forward, Commanders.com will look back at how each group performed last season, breaking down top performers and looking ahead at where they could go next. The defensive linemen are next up on the list.

On the roster

• Drake Jackson*
• Javontae Jean-Baptiste
• Jacob Martin*
• Preston Smith*
• Sheldon Day*
• Javon Kinlaw
• Jer'Zhan Newton
• Daron Payne
• Shy Tuttle*
• Andre Carter (Future)
• T.J. Maguranyanga (Future)
• Dorance Armstrong
• Deatrich Wise Jr.*
• Eddie Goldman*
• DeMarcus Walker (Practice squad)
• Ricky Barber (Future)
• Von Miller*
• Jalyn Holmes*
• DJ Johnson (Future)

*Jackson, Martin, Smith, Day, Tuttle, Wise, Goldman, Miller and Holmes are all pending free agents.

Top performers (per Pro Football Focus)

OVR: Dorance Armstrong (77.6)
RDEF: Dorance Armstrong (77.5)
TACK: Dorance Armstrong (82.3)
PRSH: Dorance Armstrong (71.2)

Stats to know

-- Miller was expected to be more of a pass-rush specialist when he signed with Washington last August but had to play a larger role thanks to all the injuries at defensive end. The 36-year-old responded to the extra workload with one of the better seasons he's had in the twilight of his career, recording nine sacks for the first time since 2021. Miller is now tied with mentor DeMarcus Ware for ninth all-time in sacks.

-- Newton had a smaller role in the rotation up front -- he averaged 37.9% of the defensive snaps compared to 50.5% as a rookie -- but he found ways to be just as impactful. He had six fewer tackles in 2025 but was more active as a pass-rusher, recording five sacks and 26 total pressures. PFF gave him a grade of 65.9 -- a nearly three-point increase from what he got in 2024.

Questions to answer

-- What to do about the depth up front? Though it didn't feel like the case during the season because of all the injuries, the Commanders have a decent amount of depth at defensive line. The problem for the 2026 season, however, is for the Commanders to decide who to keep for next season, as nine players are set to hit free agency. Martin might have the strongest case to re-sign with the team, as he ended the year with a career-high 39 tackles and 5.5 sacks when he was originally signed as a depth piece before taking on a larger role.

Players like Wise and Miller have seemingly murkier futures, mostly because of age rather than results. Wise was a solid run-stopper before he got hurt, and Miller proved he can still provide value as a pass-rusher despite being one of the oldest active players in the league. It's possible one or both players re-sign with the Commanders in March, although both head coach Dan Quinn and general manager Adam Peters have expressed a desire to get younger and fast players on the roster. Peters even went as far as specifying that getting a younger pass-rusher was on his mind.

A quick count of the players on either the active roster, practice squad or signed to future deals shows that there are 19 defensive linemen for the Commanders to choose from. There are some foundational pieces in the group, but changes are certainly coming for a team that wants to improve at putting pressure on opposing quarterbacks.