Commanders’ bold predictions in 2026 NFL Draft

When it comes to the draft, the Washington Commanders face tough choices. And like other teams, they will be looking for sleepers. But how will they conduct their business? Here are the Commanders’ bold predictions for the 2026 NFL Draft.

Entering the draft with the No. 7 overall pick, the Commanders have a chance to get a stud. They also have the option to trade down and acquire more picks.

And that second option is the key to their draft success. They should strongly consider trading down, but it’s how they do it that matters.

Commanders trade out of No. 7 spot

Many mock drafts have edge king Rueben Bain Jr. and explosive running back Jeremiyah Love both coming off the board before the Commanders get their shot. That gives the Commanders a chance to manipulate their draft.

General manager Adam Peters said he knows the first six picks will determine things, according to commanders.com.

“I have no idea who’s gonna be there at seven right now,” Peters said. “I mean, there’s a couple guys that I know are gonna be gone, but then how that goes after that, I don’t know.

“We still have a lot of touch points with the guys. We have 30 visits coming in, so [we’re] kind of getting an understanding of the landscape and who these guys are even a little bit more. But…it’s a mystery to me right now. And so, we just gotta be ready for anybody.”

Because they wouldn’t be able to get the most explosive edge rusher or a franchise-changing running back, the Commanders can focus on getting a wide receiver to make life better for quarterback Jayden Daniels.

Let’s talk about the importance of this. Daniels needs to stay healthy. And one way for him to take fewer hits is to have receivers who can get open consistently. The Commanders only have one guy, Terry McLaurin, who can do that.

And here’s the beauty of trading down. The Commanders can still get Ohio State’s Carnell Tate, Arizona State’s Jordyn Tyson, or USC’s Makai Lemon. Or even Omar Cooper Jr. of Indiana.

The key is how they rate these four receivers. Let’s use NFL Draft Buzz ratings. Lemon is at 88.6, followed by Tate (88.4), Tyson (87.1), and Cooper (86.1). That’s close enough to consider any of the four.

So the Commanders need to trade down only far enough to ensure having a great chance to get one of those receivers. And the price needs to be a second-round pick.

So the Commanders could trade down maybe 5-8 spots and still feel comfortable with getting a standout first-round receiver. And that second-round pick could be gold when it comes to filling other needs for the Commanders.

That’s where they could get a cornerback like Indiana’s D’Angelo Ponds, San Diego State’s Chris Johnson, or Arizona State’s Keith Abney.

The Commanders need to add a receiver and a cornerback in this draft. Trading down gives them an option to get both.

However, Peters said he doesn’t know if a trade will be available.

“I don’t know that there’s gonna be a lot of moving around or moving back,” Peters said. “I wouldn’t anticipate it.”

Of course, that could be posturing. The draft is always unpredictable.

Commanders blow the EDGE position once again

Last year, the Commanders took a step toward ruining their 2025 season. They passed on edge gems Donovan Ezeiruaku and Nic Scourton. They turned away from edge rusher Mike Green.

And then, as the draft meandered along, the Commanders never solved their edge rusher need. And guess what? It was an important reason why their defense turned out to be awful. They couldn’t pressure the quarterback, and everything else fell apart.

This year, they made nice additions in Odafe Oweh, Tim Settle Jr., and K’Lavon Chaisson. But they need younger juice. They need to get an edge rusher with that third-round pick.

With guys like Derrick Moore (Michigan), Dan Dennis-Sutton (Penn State), Romello Height (Texas Tech) LT Overton (Alabama), and Keyron Crawford (Auburn) potentially still on the board, look for the Commanders to once again stand pat with what they currently have on the roster.

And that would be a mistake.

Commanders make a draft-day trade for a WR

The Commanders can still trade down and meet their objectives. They can use the later first-round pick on a quality edge rusher or a top-notch cornerback. They can fill the other spot in Round 2.

Wait. What about wide receiver? That’s where they land the trade. They send their third-round pick to the Steelers for DK Metcalf.

Yes, it would be interesting to see the Steelers move Metcalf for the same value they got for George Pickens with the Cowboys. We all saw how that landed in 2025.

But the Steelers could indeed trade Metcalf, according to Fox Sports.

“The idea of the Steelers trading him all depends on what happens with Aaron Rodgers, and whether Pittsburgh goes for it all in 2026 or goes into a rebuilding mode,” Ralph Vacciano wrote. “They did just trade for Michael Pittman, so their cupboard wouldn’t be bare without Metcalf. And Metcalf was a bit of a disappointment last season with just 59 catches for 850 yards and six touchdowns as Rodgers struggled to find him downfield.

“He’d have better luck with the younger, stronger Jayden Daniels throwing him the ball. And the Commanders are desperate for a WR opposite Terry McLaurin. Metcalf cost the Steelers a second-round pick. But after a down year, and with three years and more than $100 million left on his contract, something less would do.”

This makes tons of sense for the Commanders. They could solve their three biggest needs with two picks and a trade. Of course, executing a trade in the NFL can be tough. But the Cowboys do it right and left, so why can’t the Commanders keep pace?

The post Commanders’ bold predictions in 2026 NFL Draft appeared first on ClutchPoints.