College prospects are grateful to play with any franchise once they get to the NFL, but many of them have a short list of teams they would like to play for at the next level of their careers.
For Quan Martin, the Washington Commanders were one of those teams.
"This was one of the spots I was hoping to end up at," Martin told reporters on May 24. "So, just for them to pick me, knowing I got an opportunity to come in and help this team out is big for me."
Part of that comes from the way the Commanders run their defense. The coaches began explaining some of the concepts to him during his visit during the draft process, and he "loved it from Day 1" because of the flexibility that defensive backs have in the secondary.
No matter where he ends up playing, Martin is eager to help improve the Commanders' defensive backfield.
"Wherever I may need to be at, I'll be there," Martin said.
Although he fell to the Commanders in the second round (No. 47 overall) back in April, there are several analysts who thought he could have been taken off the board during Night 1 because of the skills that make him qualified to be a moveable piece in the secondary.
A five-year contributor at Illinois with 40 starts, Martin played all over the defense, including the slot (1,012 snaps), perimeter cornerback (851 snaps) and free safety (300 snaps). He excelled at just about every position, too; he had the No. 4 tackle grade among cornerbacks in 2022, according to Pro Football Focus, and he grabbed seven career interceptions to go with 30 pass breakups.
So, while the speed of the NFL is much faster than what Martin experienced in college, bumping from one position to the next is not a foreign concept to him.
"Throughout my whole college career, I've been all over the place," Martin said. "I'm used to it now. So, just being able to move around and play different spots is what I do."
Check out the top photos of the Commanders' newest defensive back, Quan Martin, during his college career at Illinois (via The Associated Press)
Illinois defensive back Jartavius Martin (21) during an NCAA football game against Connecticut on Saturday, Sept. 7, 2019 in East Hartford, Conn. (AP Photo/Stew Milne)
Penn State tight end Theo Johnson (84) catches a pass in front of Illinois defensive back Jartavius Martin (21) during the first quarter of an NCAA college football game in State College, Pa., on Saturday, Dec. 19, 2020. (AP Photo/Barry Reeger)
Indiana wide receiver Emery Simmons (0) is hit by Illinois defensive backs Jartavius Martin (21) and Kendall Smith (7) during an NCAA football game on Friday, Sept. 2, 2022, in West Bloomington, Ind. (AP Photo/Doug McSchooler)
Purdue running back Devin Mockobee stretches out over the goal line for a touchdown as Illinois defensive back Jartavius Martin defends during the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Nov. 12, 2022, in Champaign, Ill. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
Mississippi State wide receiver Justin Robinson (18) pulls in an eight-yard touchdown reception in front ofIllinois defensive back Jartavius Martin during the second half of the ReliaQuest Bowl NCAA college football game Monday, Jan. 2, 2023, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
Minnesota running back Mohamed Ibrahim carries the ball as Illinois defensive back Jartavius Martin (21) and Kendall Smith come from behind for the tackle during the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Oct. 15, 2022, in Champaign, Ill. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
Illinois' Jartavius Martin (21) bats down a pass intended for Nebraska's Chancellor Brewington (82) as Illinois linebacker Calvin Hart Jr. (5) defends during the second half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Oct. 29, 2022, in Lincoln, Neb. Illinois defeated Nebraska 26-9. (AP Photo/Rebecca S. Gratz)
Illinois' Jartavius Martin (21) bats down a pass intended for Nebraska's Chancellor Brewington (82) as Illinois linebacker Calvin Hart Jr. (5) stands guard during the second half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Oct. 29, 2022, in Lincoln, Neb. Illinois defeated Nebraska 26-9. (AP Photo/Rebecca S. Gratz)
Minnesota quarterback Tanner Morgan runs for a touchdown as Illinois defensive back Jartavius Martin defends during the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Oct. 15, 2022, in Champaign, Ill. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
Illinois defensive back Jartavius Martin (21) incepts a pass intended for Northwestern wide receiver Will Lansbury during the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Nov. 27, 2021, in Champaign, Ill. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
Nebraska's Dedrick Mills (26) is brought down by Illinois' Jartavius Martin (21) in the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2019, in Champaign, Ill. (AP Photo/Holly Hart)
Illinois defensive back Jartavius Martin (21) during an NCAA football game against Connecticut on Saturday, Sept. 7, 2019 in East Hartford, Conn. (AP Photo/Stew Milne)
Illinois defensive back Jartavius Martin (21) breaks up a pass intended for Iowa wide receiver Nico Ragaini (89) during the second half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Nov. 20, 2021, in Iowa City, Iowa. Iowa won 33-23. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
Illinois defensive back Jartavius Martin (21) breaks up a pass intended for Maryland wide receiver Rakim Jarrett during the second half of an NCAA college football game Friday, Sept. 17, 2021, in Champaign, Ill. Maryland won 20-17. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
Purdue wide receiver Isaac Zico, left, runs the ball as Illinois' Jartavius Martin (21) and Kerby Joseph (26) attempt the tackle in the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Oct. 13, 2018, in Champaign, Ill. (AP Photo/Holly Hart)
Connecticut wide receiver Matt Drayton (88) catches a pass over Illinois defensive back Jartavius Martin (21) during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2019, in East Hartford, Conn. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)
Nebraska's Alante Brown, right, catches a pass ahead of Illinois' Jartavius Martin during the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Oct. 29, 2022, in Lincoln, Neb. (AP Photo/Rebecca S. Gratz)
Illinois defensive back Jartavius Martin (21) intercepts a pass intended for Chattanooga wide receiver Tyron Arnett in the end zone during the first half of an NCAA college football game Thursday, Sept. 22, 2022, in Champaign, Ill. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
Nebraska running back Devine Ozigbo (22) carries the ball between Illinois defensive backs Delano Ware (15) and Jartavius Martin (21) during the first half of an NCAA college football game in Lincoln, Neb., Saturday, Nov. 10, 2018. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik)
Indiana wide receiver Emery Simmons (0) is hit by Illinois defensive backs Jartavius Martin (21) and Kendall Smith (7) during an NCAA football game on Friday, Sept. 2, 2022, in West Bloomington, Ind. (AP Photo/Doug McSchooler)
FILE - Illinois defensive back Jartavius Martin (21) intercepts a pass from Minnesota backup quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis intended for wide receiver Michael Brown-Stephens, right, during an NCAA college football game Oct. 15, 2022, in Champaign, Ill. The Washington Commanders continued bolstering their secondary in the second round of the NFL draft Friday, April 28, taking Martin with the 47th pick. Martin, whose given name is Jartavius but prefers to go by Quan, was a five-year starter with the Illini. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast, File)
Penn State wide receiver Daniel George (11) attempts to catch a pass as Illinois defensive back Jartavius Martin (21) defends during an NCAA college football game in State College, Pa., on Saturday, Dec. 19, 2020. (AP Photo/Barry Reeger)
Although Martin will need to learn some new concepts with the Commanders as he builds a role in their defense, there have been some shades of familiarity. The footwork, terminology and route concepts are similar, and that has helped him pick up how to operate in certain coverage situations.
It also helps that Martin prides himself on his knowledge of the sport.
"Just being able to play any position in the back end at any given moment in the game just shows my understanding of the game and my football IQ," Martin said after he was drafted.
The Commanders have not been shy about utilizing Martin's versatility in OTAs. He's mostly played in the slot, but he's already earned some reps with the starters and made some exceptional plays. During Thursday's practice, he deflected a pass that led to an interception, and he has provided solid coverage against bigger targets like Logan Thomas.
His usage is going exactly as coach Ron Rivera predicted it would.
"Quan's a heck of a football player. Played some very good football at the University of Illinois. Very disciplined football player but has position flex. And what he can do for you is he can play free safety, be in the post, be in the half, be in the quarter, and keep the ball in front of him."
Martin is still going through some growing pains during practice. The similarities from college help, but the NFL is exponentially faster than anything he experienced at Illinois. Putting that aside, though, Martin's development is coming along well, and there's a chance he could be a more immediate contributor in 2023.
No matter how much or where he plays, Rivera believes Martin's presence will have a reverberating effect on the defense.
"What Quan gives us is an opportunity to use it really with kind of a hybrid guy," Rivera said. "That's really what it is. We listed him as a safety slash nickel and he's a guy that has that kind of ability and flexibility for you … So, we have a lot of flexibility right now to do things."
