Why Commanders made the biggest mistake of 2026 NFL Draft

Perhaps there’s something that affects the mind when drafting from the Washington Commanders’ war room. Maybe it’s the notion that trades will fix the problems. But here is why the Commanders made the biggest mistake of the 2026 NFL Draft.

General manager Adam Peters and head coach Dan Quinn managed to get things right when they collected Sonny Styles with their No. 7 overall pick. Yes, they passed on safety Caleb Downs, who went to the Cowboys. And Commanders’ fans might have to live with that decision for the next decade.

But still, it’s not fair to call the drafting of Styles a mistake. Styles checks all of the boxes. However, it is fair to give a long, stern look at what the Commanders did in Round 3. Oh my.

Commanders blew it by drafting WR Antonio Williams

First, let’s see what the experts said. You know, the guys who spend their whole year watching film on these NFL prospects. Let’s see how they ranked the wide receiver position when the Commanders’ turn came at No. 71.

We will look at the rankings of NFL.com along with the order of NFL Draft Buzz.

NFL.com
1. Chris Brazzell II
2. Zachariah Branch
3. Malachi Fields
4. Antonio Williams
5. Chris Bell
6. Ja’Kobi Lane
7. Ted Hurst

NFL Draft Buzz
1. Chris Brazzell II
2. Chris Bell
3. Zachariah Branch
4. Antonio Williams
5. Malachi Fields
6. Ted Hurst
7. Ja’Kobi Lane

So, you get the picture. Williams was the fourth-best receiver available. And with good reason. He has a light frame with short arms, which will make him a candidate to be shut down by corners who are good at physical press coverage.

Furthermore, the Commanders won’t be able to count on him to block in the run game. Along with the lack of strength, there are durability concerns.

But worst of all, Williams lacks the type of speed needed to threaten defenses on the back end.

Adding to the woes, the Commanders don’t have a WR2. And the idea of Williams filling that spot on the outside is slim, according to NFL Draft Buzz.

“Williams is a slot receiver,” NFL Draft Buzz wrote. “That is his position in the NFL. And there is no reason to overthink it.”

So why did the Commanders even draft him? They are counting on him to win in the middle of the field with quickness and craft.

“Put him in a timing-based passing scheme that values route precision over raw athleticism, and he will produce right away,” NFL Draft Buzz wrote. “Spread formations, RPO concepts, and quick-game packages that let him work against linebackers and nickel corners in space are where he thrives.”

But the biggest issue with Williams isn’t what he can do. The biggest issue with drafting him is what the Commanders passed on.

Commanders passed on bigger, faster receivers

Most notably, and easy to argue, they took a pass on Chris Brazzell II. What will Brazzell bring to the Panthers instead of the Commanders? A game changer, according to NFL Draft Buzz.

“Brazzell walked into Indianapolis with a reputation as a long, fluid receiver who could win downfield and at the catch point,” NFL Draft Buzz wrote. “He walked out having torched the 40-yard dash with a 4.37 that tied for the ninth-fastest time among 34 receivers. That number changes the calculus entirely.

“Before the combine, you could talk yourself into Brazzell as a quality possession X who won with technique, length, and contested-catch ability. Now you are looking at a 6-4 target with an 80-inch wingspan who also happens to run faster than most of the guys he will line up across from at the next level.”

Every time Brazzell catches a long pass in 2026, someone should send a group text message to Quinn and Peters.

“Hey, guess who just caught another bomb? Yep. Brazzell.”

Quinn and Peters can then go back to watching Williams catch short passes in the middle of the field. Sigh.

If not Brazzell, why not Branch? He’s a few inches shorter, but he’s faster. Remember that thing where Quinn and Peters wanted faster players?

Now, there was another guy in play. This would have taken some guts. But at 6-foot-4 and 206 pounds, Hurst brings the type of frame NFL teams love.

This guy has size and speed. And he has Puka Nacua-type upside written all over him. Look at this summary from NFL Draft Buzz.

“But the important thing is what happens after the release,” NFL Draft Buzz wrote. “He changes speeds through his stems, sinks his hips on breaks with fluidity rare for his frame, and finds zone windows with a feel that his average depth of target shift from 17.2 to 12.6 yards between 2024 and 2025 confirms was already developing. With physical development and an expanded release package, he can grow into a starting outside receiver by year two.”

And the problem with that last sentence is that the Commanders desperately need a receiver to step into a bigger role for 2027. Because the current WR1, Terry McLaurin, is getting old.

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