What LB Jordan Magee brings to the Washington Commanders

Breaking down what the Commanders are getting from their fifth round linebacker

The Washington Commanders selected linebacker Jordan Magee out of Temple in the fifth round of the 2024 NFL Draft. The Commanders have invested a lot in the linebacker position this offseason, adding Bobby Wagner and Frankie Luvu in free agency. That means there’s unlikely to be any need to rush Magee into any type of starting role on defense, allowing him to develop at his own pace behind the established veterans while having the opportunity to learn from a great of the game in Wagner. However, other than Luvu, Washington doesn’t have any established linebacker under contract beyond the 2024 season, meaning Magee could have a significant role in 2025. So what are the Commanders getting in Magee? Let’s take a closer look.

Magee is an interesting study. He’s an undersized linebacker at 6-foot-1, 228 pounds and is more in the mold of a hybrid safety/linebacker type rather than a traditional downhill linebacker. That’s a profile that head coach Dan Quinn and defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. are very familiar with using, especially during their time in Dallas. That being said, Magee isn’t a liability against the run like some linebackers of his profile can be. He’s not afraid to trigger downhill and take on blocks in the run game. 

On this play, Rutgers look to run an outside zone scheme against Temple’s defense. The center looks to work off a combination block on the nose tackle before climbing up to block Magee. Magee reads run early and quickly works up to the line of scrimmage, meeting the center head on. He uses his momentum to explode into the block, getting up and under the center to drive him backwards. Magee blows up the center and closes the lane for the running back, who ends up getting tackled for no gain. 

That willingness to take on blocks for an undersized linebacker was a standout trait for Magee. He consistently triggered on runs inside early and exploded into blockers to knock them back and disrupt the run scheme. But he wasn’t just running head first into blocks for the sake of it. Magee displays good instincts and can quickly identify where the ball is going. 

Here, Tulsa calls a pin-pull run scheme to the same side as the running back. Typically, when the quarterback is in the shotgun, the running back will run the ball to the opposite side that he lines up, but here, Tulsa attempts to break that tendency. Up front, the tight end and right guard blocking down to pin defenders inside, enabling the right tackle and center to pull around them. At the snap, Magee reads the right guard blocking down and the center pulling to the right side as the big indicators of intent for the play. He triggers to the right side quickly, enabling him to beat the left guard trying to climb and cut him off. Having beat the cut off block, Magee is unaccounted for by the rest of the offense and he works into the backfield to make the tackle for a loss. 

Magee also has the quickness to slip by blockers.