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Finding their best players is not difficult when you go up and down the Washington Commanders’ roster. Wide receiver Terry McLaurin and defensive tackles Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne first come to mind. At one point, defensive end Chase Young would have been in the conversation, but Montez Sweat has overshadowed him over the past two seasons.
CBS Sports recently reviewed all 32 NFL rosters and named the best duo from each roster. To qualify for the best duo, the pair of players had to be on the same side of the ball. So, for instance, you couldn’t choose McLaurin and Allen.
So who did CBS choose for the Commanders? Payne and Sweat.
Surprised?
Here’s CBS’ logic for choosing Payne and Sweat:
The strength of the Commanders is on the defensive line, even if Chase Young hasn’t lived up to expectations since his rookie season. Sweat has, however, notching his best season in 2022 with a career high in pressures (62), quarterback hits (28) and pressure rate (14.5%). While Sweat has yet to record a double-digit sack season, the numbers demonstrate that’s coming in due time.
Payne didn’t make the Pro Bowl despite notching a career-high 11.5 sacks last year, along with 49 pressures and 20 quarterback hits (9.6% pressure rate). He was one of the best interior pass rushers in the game, and was paid like one as a result.
Both Sweat and Payne are 26, playing a crucial role in leading Washington’s defense to compete with the powers in the NFC East.
No mention of Allen?
Has the author never watched Allen play? No disrespect meant to Payne and Sweat, but how is Allen not one of the two here? There is no better duo at defensive tackle in the NFL than Allen and Payne. Sweat is phenomenal, too, but go back and watch Allen and Payne together last season.
You really can’t go wrong here with any combination of the three, but Allen, along with McLaurin, has been Washington’s most consistent player for a few years now.