One starting spot amongst the Commanders’ perimeter corners is assured of with 2024 trade acquisition Marshon Lattimore. Mike Sainristil, meanwhile, will again handle first-team duties in 2025 but it remains to be seen if he will find himself on the outside or in the slot. 
Determining where best to use the latter will of course take into account the competition for the other starting cornerback gig. On that note, Washington is in position to have a free agent addition and a rookie vying for that role. Jonathan Jones and Trey Amos offer different skillets, and The Athletic’s Ben Standig writes one of them should wind up in the starting lineup for 2025 (subscription required).
Jones inked a one-year deal in March to head to the nation’s capital. That pact – which has a base value of $5.5MM and includes $1MM in incentives – ended his nine-year run with the Patriots. The 31-year-old had expressed a willingness to remain in New England, but the team spent big on the open market to add Carlton Davis at the cornerback spot. Now, Jones will look to earn a starting spot on his second career team and help his 2026 market value along the way.
The former UDFA totaled 71 starts during his Patriots tenure, including 44 across the past three seasons. He would thud offer considerable experience to the Commanders if he were to handle first-team responsibilities, although at 5-9 Jones would likely be tasked with operating in the slot. That, in turn, would push Sainristil (who is himself 5-10) to the boundary, where he finished the 2024 season. That transition elevated Noah Igbinoghene to a starting spot on the inside, and having re-signed with Washington the former first-rounder is again a candidate to see playing time in 2025.
Amos was selected 61st overall in last month’s draft, making him the Commanders’ second choice of the event. The Ole Miss product dealt with a back injury leading up to the draft, something which is believed to have affected his stock to an extent. Given his size – 6-1, 195 pounds – and success as a press cover corner in college, Amos is suited to handle starting duties on the perimeter at the NFL level. As Standig notes, the ideal trio would see him operate right away on defense opposite Lattimore with Sainristil moving back to the slot.
Plenty of time remains for a Jones-Amos competition to take place, and its result will inform the Commanders’ decisions in the secondary ahead of the campaign. With nearly $23MM in cap space at the moment, Washington will be able to make a cornerback addition if one is deemed necessary.
