Where does Washington Commanders' Joe Whitt Jr. rank among NFL's defensive coordinators?

The Washington Commanders were the talk of the NFL in 2024. One year after going 4-13, the Commanders went 12-5 and made it to the NFC championship game. It was the franchise's best season in 33 years.

Quarterback Jayden Daniels is often discussed in relation to Washington's remarkable turnaround. He had help. Head coach Dan Quinn immediately changed the culture, hired an outstanding coaching staff led by offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury and received contributions from almost everyone in a large free-agent class.

Washington's offense was one of the NFL's best last season. But what about the defense? It wasn't great year for the Commanders' defense, specifically the run defense. Much of that was due to talent. General manager Adam Peters couldn't fill every hole in his first offseason in charge of the Commanders.

How did defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. perform in his first year? Pro Football Network recently ranked all 32 NFL defensive coordinators ahead of the 2025 season, placing Whitt at No. 24.

The Washington Commanders struggled significantly on defense to start 2024, which was Joe Whitt Jr.’s first season as a defensive coordinator. However, he did enough in the second half of the year to finish with the 17th-best Defense+ grade.

Diggs and Bland flourished under Whitt’s guidance as Dallas’ secondary coordinator from 2021 to 2023. In 2024, Washington allowed the third-fewest passing yards in the league. If the run defense takes a step forward, Whitt’s stock will undoubtedly rise.

Whitt was Quinn's handpicked choice to be his defensive coordinator. Whitt has an excellent history with defensive backs, and the Commanders believe an infusion of talent will help the defense in 2025 and beyond. While Washington struggled to stop the run last season, there were encouraging signs regarding the pass defense. And Whitt did that with a patchwork cornerback room.

This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Where does Commanders' Joe Whitt rank among NFL defensive coordinators