As one of two undrafted free agents to make the Washington Commanders' 2024 roster, Tyler Owens had to earn every rep he was given his rookie season. In 12 games played, the safety out of Texas Tech recorded 11 total tackles and one forced fumble while taking 243 (74%) snaps on special teams, according to Pro Football Reference.

Owens' made a name for himself on special teams, and as the Commanders move toward a faster and smarter secondary, he is looking toward an expanded role on defense.

"Whatever it is for me, if it's just a package or more reps on defense, it really doesn't matter as long as it will help the team more," Owens said of taking more defensive snaps.

Although that added responsibility has yet to be defined for Owens, the second-year safety started Day One of camp by taking reps with the starters during team drills and was matched up against veteran wide receiver Deebo Samuel. Despite Samuel making a catch over Owens, the pairing demonstrates head coach Dan Quinn's confidence in what Owens can offer the Commanders' secondary. That confidence was demonstrated on the third day of camp when Owens intercepted quarterback Marcus Mariota during the team's seven-on-seven drilld, showing flashes of brilliance when his number is called for defensive snaps.

While Owens is officially listed on the roster as a safety, he has also been taking reps at nickelback. He was paired up with cornerback Mike Sainristil, and the competitive partnership between the two second-year players allows Owens to add skills to his defensive toolkit and become a more versatile player.

"He's been at the position way longer than me, so I get to learn things from him," Owens said of practicing alongside Sainristil. "Just like when I played a little bit of corner last year, I was learning from him, too."

Although the nickel position requires more shallow coverage and less run support than playing safety, it isn't completely foreign to Owens. During his super senior season, Owens played the "star" position as part of Texas Tech's defensive scheme -- a hybrid safety role that saw him responsible for covering the slot receiver.

"It feels good," Owens said of taking reps at nickel. "I mean, I played a little bit of nickel in college so I'm pretty comfortable there. I just have to learn the defense at that position."

Being surrounded by defensive veterans such as safety Jeremy Reaves, as well as linebackers Bobby Wagner and Von Miller, allows Owens the opportunity to learn from some of the best in the league.

"They've [Wagner and Miller] played football at such a high level for so long," Reaves said. "They've seen everything, they've done it all. And so, for him, just continuing to soak that information in and be a sponge. That's the biggest thing when you're a young player in this league. You speak a little, but you hear and see a lot, and that's how you get to be a good player."

Like Owens, Reaves came into the league seven years ago as an undrafted free agent and found his footing in Washington on special teams. He remembers what it was like carving out his place on the defense and recognizes the mental aspect of the game as the toughest obstacle to finding success. Other than learning from those around him, Reaves best advice to Owens is to get out of his own head to let his innate athletic ability shine.

"Man, just slow down, take a deep breath," Reaves said. "Understanding that football is the same concept at all levels, it's just spoken differently, and it's done a little differently, is important, but football is football. You're a heck of a player; you're a freak athlete. Let that do the work for you. If you train your mind, your body will follow, so I just tell him that and he's getting more and more of an understanding. Now he's just going out there and playing, so I'm excited for him because I've seen the growth, and that's the most important part of it."

A strong understanding of the cognitive side of football or "the game within the game," as Reaves puts it, is where Reaves has seen the most improvement in Owens from Year 1 to Year 2.

"His mental aspect, understanding leverages, understanding where offenses are trying to attack you at certain defensive schemes," Reaves said of Owens' areas of improvement from his rookie season. "And so that's the game within the game, right? That's how you go from an average player to a good player. That's what makes Bobby [Wagner] great. Bobby plays the game within the game. Von [Miller] plays the game within the game. That's what makes those guys great for so long. Just continuing to hone that because that's the biggest part of football.

"People always say it's physical, but it's more mental, I always say that. We all got the physical ability to do that, or we wouldn't be here. But you've got to train your mind just as much as you train your body, so he's doing that now, and so I would say his mental aspect is the thing that's grown the most."

Having a strong football intuition is key for Owens in distinguishing himself from the rest of the pack. Owens has already proven himself to be a physical asset last season, and now it's up to him to demonstrate that his football IQ has caught up to his physical gifts to earn an expanded role in the defense.