Fans may get tired of hearing Washington Commanders head coach Ron Rivera talk about “position flex,” but it’s a valuable asset to all 32 NFL teams.
Rivera likes his offensive linemen to play multiple positions and the same for his secondary. Most of the offensive linemen Rivera has signed or drafted since coming to Washington in 2020 have been able to play multiple spots. With the Commanders’ issues at center over the previous two seasons, that position flex was more critical than ever in 2023.
Perhaps no rookie from the 2023 NFL draft embodies positional flexibility like Washington’s second-round pick Jartavius “Quan” Martin. The Commanders loved Martin throughout the pre-draft process, and, despite taking cornerback Emmanuel Forbes in the first round, Washington selected Martin in the second round.
The Commanders envision Martin being a swiss-army knife of sorts for their secondary. He can cover the slot, play safety, line up at outside cornerback, or come down and play in the box.
Per Nick Akridge of Pro Football Focus, check out how Illinois used Martin.
Jartavius Martin alignment last year:
– 177 snaps as deep safety
– 44 snaps in the box
– 75 snaps as wide corner
– 493 snaps in the slot— Nick Akridge (@PFF_NickAkridge) April 29, 2023
His future in Washington appears to be in the slot — at least for 2023. But there are so many things the Commanders can do with Martin, making the secondary deeper and stronger next season.
