Getty A former starter for OC Kliff Kingsbury can solve a problem position for the Washington Commanders.
Left tackle remains a problem position for the Washington Commanders, but one of Kliff Kingsbury’s former starters, veteran D.J. Humphries, can offer a solution. The first-round pick for the Arizona Cardinals in the 2015 NFL draft is still on the market and is somebody the Commanders should be interested in possibly acquiring.
That’s according to Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox. He thinks a lack of realistic starters on the blindside of rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels make Humphries an option: “The Washington Commanders could show interest, as they’re likely to start either Cornelius Lucas—who was largely a backup in 2023—or rookie third-round pick Brandon Coleman in Week 1.”
A lengthy recent injury history is cause for concern after “the 30-year-old suffered a torn ACL on New Year’s Eve and then had his surgery delayed by an MCL injury, which makes a return by Week 1 highly unlikely.”
Fortunately, Knox believes “there’s a chance that Humphries will be ready to contribute before the midpoint of the season, which makes him an intriguing insurance option.”
A healthy again Humphries would have starter potential in Washington. His experience, which includes a Pro Bowl berth in 2021, offers a more proven commodity than the Commanders’ other left tackle candidates.
D.J. Humphries Has Credentials Commanders Lack at LT
As Knox pointed out, the Commanders are lacking for credible choices to play left tackle. Humphries is somebody Kingsbury could trust to handle the left side.
It’s what the player once did for Kyler Murray in Arizona. Murray is a similarly slight-framed, dual-threat quarterback as Daniels, this year’s second-overall pick.
Both signal-callers are just as likely to take off and run or throw on the move as they are to hang in the pocket and uncork a pass from on platform under pressure. The unpredictability of where the quarterback might go increases the need for a savvy pass-protector.
Humphries fits the bill at his best. Like when he blanked edge-rusher Bud Dupree against the Tennessee Titans in 2021, taking him completely out of this play highlighted by USA Today’s Doug Farrar.
Another LT who did nice work Sunday was D.J. Humphries, who I don’t think gets nearly enough credit for his game. Contained Bud Dupree completely on Kyler Murray’s deep shots and allowed no pressures.
This was during the period when Humphries played the best football of his career on Kingsbury’s watch. The lineman didn’t miss a start for three seasons once Kingsbury took charge in 2019.
While Kingsbury relied on Humphries to give Murray time, the blocker also proved his worth in the run game, earning a league-best grade from PFF ARZ Cardinals during the 2020 campaign.
Highest-graded run-blocking OT in the NFL: #AZCardinals D.J. Humphries – 91.1
Kingsbury could count on Humphries to help make his schemes work in Washington. There’d be less risk than putting faith in the alternatives.
Commanders Lack Obvious Starter at LT
Those alternatives are veteran Cornelius Lucas and first-year pro Brandon Coleman. Lucas is an intriguing physical specimen at 6-foot-8 and 327 pounds, but he’s also rarely been a starter, despite playing on five different teams.
Lucas is more of a swing backup who can give the Commanders extra beef in short-yardage and goal-line situations. That makes Coleman a more viable candidate to replace Charles Leno Jr. at the premium position on the edge.
Some, including The 33rd Team’s Greg Cosell, believe Coleman projects best as a guard at the pro level. Coleman did work as a tackle at TCU, where he played “similarly to former Georgia Bulldog and Buffalo Bills tackle Cordy Glenn,” according to Knox’s colleague Brandon Thorn.
Going from third-round pick to protecting a potential franchise QB1 in the NFL would be quite the leap for Coleman. The burden on the 67th player taken in this year’s draft would be easier to handle if the Commanders had Humphries available to step in if necessary.
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