Commanders’ All-Pro defender is poised for a massive bounce-back season under Daronte Jones
Daronte Jones is excited to work with Commanders LB Frankie Luvu this season, aiming to bring out his best again after recent struggles.
The Washington Commanders have made drastic changes this offseason, but they were needed after a nightmare of a 2025 season.
The biggest changes needed to happen on defense after finishing with a bottom-three defense in the NFL last year. Head coach Dan Quinn went out of his comfort zone to hire Daronte Jones as the new defensive coordinator, and he cleaned house for his own supporting staff as well.
Jones is ready to fix the defense as a whole, but there’s one player he’s going to bring the best out of, and he can become one of the best players on the team again in 2026.
Daronte Jones is ready to bring the best out of LB Frankie Luvu
Jones’ new scheme will benefit a lot of the young talent on the Commanders’ roster, but you can argue that LB Frankie Luvu is the biggest winner with the hire. In his introductory press conference, Jones pointed out Luvu and talked about how much he loved his game.
“Love Frankie Luvu,” Jones said. “Watched him on tape. He’s a guy who, before I even got here, we would watch and put on a tape in our meeting room. I love his athleticism. He’s best going downhill, getting the match-up on running backs, that’s always a key. You’re going to hear that a lot in terms of match ability and putting guys in advantageous positions. He’s best when he can go downhill, use his athleticism to win on edges, and use his speed.”
“So, time, distance, and space to encounter those matchups. And you want to put him in that situation where he’s matched up on the running back. And I think running backs are one of the guys, on offense, that get the least amount of reps and protections.”
Frankie Luvu can have a resurgence season in 2026
Luvu was a great free agency signing for the Commanders two offseasons ago, and he was actually voted as the No. 70 player in the NFL’s Top-100 after his 2024 season and second team All-Pro honors. In 2025, we saw Luvu take a massive stepback, but he was also out of position, which went against his strengths.
Luvu played 473 snaps on the defensive line in 2025, far more than in 2024, when he played only 288 snaps up front. He was also forced to take on offensive tackles instead of running backs, like Jones pointed out, and it didn’t take him long to see that on film. Luvu was forced to play as a pass rusher way too often with the injuries on the line, but that will change in 2026.
I expect Jones to let Luvu run loose as a linebacker again, and the Commanders will have to address the defensive line this offseason for him to do so. Luvu’s coverage ability and run-stopping will improve when he’s back in the box, and he’ll be a more effective pass rusher when he’s coming on blitzes and getting matched up on running backs.
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