The Washington Commanders' secondary went through heavy renovations during the offseason, and the group will face its first major test in Week 1 when the New York Giants come to Northwest Stadium: finding a way to contain second-year wideout Malik Nabers.

Defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. wants to let the results speak for themselves, but he believes the group is up to the task.

"We've been really sticky [in coverage]," Whitt said. "We've challenged in press [coverage] and been more of what I envision of our secondary being."

There is a stark difference between the group Washington rolled out against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and what it will have at its disposal against the Giants. Players like Mike Sainristil and Noah Igbinoghene are still around, but Benjamin St-Juste and Mike Davis have been replaced by Marshon Lattimore -- a four-time Pro Bowler -- and second-round pick Trey Amos. At safety, Quan Martin is joined by Will Harris, who might not be as physical as Jeremy Chinn but allows more diversity in coverage.

The group performed better than most on the Commanders' roster in camp; Whitt was pleased with the way they challenged for the ball and communicated in practice. However, they haven't matched up against a player like Nabers, aside from the handful of snaps Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins were on the field in their second preseason game. Nabers was the Giants' main weapon in 2024, catching 109 passes on 170 targets -- by far the most on New York's roster -- for 1,204 yards and seven touchdowns.

Nabers, who led the SEC in receiving yards and receptions while playing with Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels at LSU in 2023, presents unique challenges for defensive backs. He has the size (6-foot, 200 pounds) to be physical with players downfield to make contested catches, but he can also run short and intermediate routes as well as pick up yards after the catch. The Commanders got an introduction to that skill set last season in Week 2, as he caught 10 of 18 targets for 127 yards and a touchdown.

Whitt said "we'll see" whether the Commanders are better equipped to handle Nabers, but it is worth noting that the Commanders built their new secondary with stopping some of the league's top receivers in mind. Both Lattimore and Amos have a reputation for performing better in man coverage. Amos had 13 pass breakups in 2024, allowing just nine receptions on 25 targets in man situations and three yards after the catch. Lattimore joined the Commanders at the trade deadline allowing a -12.3% completion rate over expected when targeted as the nearest defender.

Sunday's matchup against Nabers should test that assumed strength. Nabers ranked 14th among receivers against man coverage, according to Pro Football Focus, catching 58.5% of his targets and four touchdowns.

Adding to that challenge is that Nabers now has a quarterback in Russell Wilson who can get them the ball for explosive plays downfield. Wilson had the 11th-best grade on passes of at least 20 yards, but the Commanders don't need stats to tell them that Wilson's arm is still potent. He delivered the game-winning touchdown throw against them last season when he was the Pittsburgh Steelers' starting quarterback.

"That's what he [Wilson] does best," Whitt said. "He throws the ball really good outside in numbers deep. He gives his guys a chance to go make a play and that just gives him a chance to make a play. He places it very well on those deep balls. He's one of the best that's done it, and he's done it for a very, very long time."

Nabers had the second-most targets in the league last year, and while the Giants have added other pieces to their offense, it's reasonable to expect he will be their most important skill player on Sunday. It will be paramount for the Commanders to have an answer for him, and they believe they have it with all the changes they have made.

However, as Whitt said, "We'll see."

"I think the speed's right there with the length and the size of the men," Whitt said. "Especially on the back end, you have an older guy in [CB] Jonathan Jones, but he still can run like a deer, and Amos can run and Marshon's healthy. So, you'll be able to see his ability to hit the top end speed. ... I think we have what we need to go out here and play really good defense."