What Will the 2026 Defense Look Like

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July 1, 2026

By Noonefromtampa

It is expected that in the 2026 season that the Washington Commanders new defensive coordinator Daronte Jones will really lean into the Brian Flores / Minnesota Vikings defensive scheme. How is this look different that the Quinn / Whitt scheme of the last two years? Washington’s defense is expected to utilize more multiple front looks, use more pressure via blitzes, and make it harder to identify coverages pre-snap.

While Commanders probably won’t become a carbon copy of Flores’ Vikings defense, the philosophical shift should be clear once the season starts. Don’t expect to see a lot of changes in the preseason. Jones will not want too much on film for the Eagles. What the team will work on in the preseason are the foundations of the defensive scheme, role responsibility, communication and recognition. Those are three key trademarks of this scheme.

Multiple Fronts

Expect Washington to use multiple fronts rather than one clean identity. Jones’ comment that it is “not how they line up, it’s how they wind up” seems to indicate that Washington’s defense will use many different fronts depending on down and distance. We may see 3-4 under fronts, 4-3 over fronts as well as 5-man, 6-man and even 7-man “bear” fronts. Flores likes to throw a lot of different looks at offenses.

Flores also likes to use “mug” looks, in which linebackers move into gaps, especially the “A” gaps around the center. The defense will also walk up a safely (called “creepers”) near the line of scrimmage to confuse line protection calls. The idea behind the fronts is to confuse which players are going to rush the passer and which are dropping into coverage.

But to execute that kind of deception, Washington needs versatile players such as safety Josh Metellus or linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel. The question is whether players added like K’Lavon Chaisson, Odafe Oweh and Nick Cross be able to produce similar results for Jones.

Blitzing

Flores blitzes around 35% to 40% of the defensive snaps, which is usually in the top 3 of the league. Also, blitzes often come from unexpected directions, such as inside linebackers or cornerbacks. This amount of blitzing would be much higher than Washington has done in the past two seasons.

Even on plays in which he doesn’t blitz, Flores gives looks that make offenses think he is going to blitz when in reality it is a four-man rush. Flores’ Vikings used simulated pressures heavily, meaning that with simulated pressure the pass rushing four from unexpected places rather than just the four down linemen. Minnesota’s personnel groups made that possible because the edge players, linebackers, and safeties could all exchange responsibilities.

The goal is not just to get sacks but to put pressure on the offense. It is also about forcing the quarterback to set the protection wrong, throw quickly before routes develop, or make a bad post-snap read under stress which can lead to turnovers. The Vikings were first in turnovers in 2024 and tenth in 2025.

Coverage – Disguise it first

Expect Washington to show a lot of pre-snap ambiguity. Flores’ defense is not simply a Cover 0 defense, even though Cover 0 pressure is part of the reputation. The Vikings  mixed pressure with rotations into multiple coverage looks. The key is that players never stay where they start pre-snap because the initial coverage shown is usually not the coverage used on the play. Expect Washington to use these coverages at different times:

Cover 0 –Washington may show all-out pressure with no deep safety, forcing the ball out quickly. The risk is obvious: if the rush does not get home or the tackle is missed, explosive plays follow. Flores’ Vikings ran into that issue against quick-game answers from teams like Detroit and the Rams.

Cover 1 – This may be the core man-pressure coverage. One safety deep, man underneath, and one or more linebackers/safeties adding pressure. It pairs well with Washington’s desire to be aggressive while still keeping a post safety.

Cover 2 – Against quick-throw teams, Washington may need more two-high trap and cloud looks. If offenses beat pressure with fast throws, Jones will need answers that take away quick outs, hitches, and glance routes rather than simply blitzing more.

Cover 3 – Expect Washington to show two-high or pressure looks before rotating into three-deep coverage. The box safety can cover into the hook/curl area while the corners and post safety form the deep shell. This is useful behind simulated pressures because it lets the defense look chaotic while still having zone integrity.

Cover 4 – This is where the Vikings influence could show up more than fans expect. Flores has used safeties who can rotate from the line of scrimmage into deep-half or quarter responsibilities, which creates confusion for quarterbacks trying to identify the coverage pre-snap.

What types of players that Washington needs on defense

The new scheme depends on versatility. The Vikings’ success under Flores was tied to defenders who could play multiple jobs.

For Washington, the key roles are:

  • A versatile safety/nickel hybrid who can blitz, cover tight ends, rotate deep, and play in the box.
  • Linebackers who can mug, blitz, and cover rather than just play downhill.
  • Edges comfortable dropping occasionally cover the flat or hook zones.
  • Corners who can survive man coverage when the defense brings all-out pressure.
  • Interior rushers who can win one-on-one matchups, because if the front cannot generate pressure without constant blitzing, offenses will attack the space vacated by blitzing players.

Wrap-Up

Running this defensive scheme is not without risk because this defense is demanding. It requires players to understand the overall scheme, their responsibilities in different looks and constant communication between the players on the field.

The main risks that Washington can experience are:

  • Communication busts early in the season.
  • Explosive plays if coverage or pass rush fails.
  • Inability to tackle in space after forcing hot throws.
  • Protection-savvy quarterbacks beating the blitz with quick reads.
  • Personnel mismatches if Washington lacks enough hybrid defenders to execute the scheme.

Minnesota’s late-2024 issues showed that if an offense can identify pressure and get the ball out quickly, the defense can be stressed.

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