A-
Washington Commanders
A masterclass at the trade table lands the Commanders a A-.
by skojec22 ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 9 picks
· 3 steals
· 2 reaches
Whoever sat across the table from the Commanders should ask for a receipt. They cleaned the room out, prying loose far more value than they gave up, and it was the quiet MVP of their weekend. They executed a plan and it shows in the A-.
The Tucker reach is the anchor dragging on the value grade. Leaving quarterback unaddressed is the roster risk they will have to answer for in the fall.
The Hurst pick is the one they will point to when this weekend is judged.
The kind of weekend a front office frames and hangs on the wall.
Pick-by-Pick
In the 9th pick they get a centerpiece for the ground game. A clean fit for the roster.
Taking Jake Slaughter in the 77th overall pick is close to grand larceny; an offensive lineman that good had no business lasting this long. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
Ted Hurst at slot 109 is the steal of the weekend, a first-round talent at a bargain-bin price. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
Nice patience on Chandler Rivers, who had no business lasting to the Round 4 slot. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
Nadame Tucker at Round 5, Pick 7 is an overdraft of the loud, memorable kind. A need, and now a little less of one.
A conviction pick on VJ Payne at No. 187 that the board grades a round light. It thickens a room that could stand to be thicker.
A straight-up fair deal on Jadon Canady at pick 223, value and slot in agreement. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
Riley Nowakowski at pick No. 227 is a sensible buy, a touch better than market for the tight end. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
By-the-book stuff, Noah Whittington at slot 238 squarely in line with his ranking. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.