A-
Washington Commanders
A masterclass at the trade table lands the Commanders a A-.
by Maddmax ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 10 picks
· 4 steals
· 1 reaches
If you want a masterclass in dealing, watch the Commanders, who turned every swap into a profit this weekend.
The Heidenreich reach is the anchor dragging on the value grade. That McNeil-Warren pick is the receipt they will wave around later.
For all the activity, tight end went untouched, which is hard to explain.
It is a haul that will look even better come September.
Pick-by-Pick
In the Round 1 slot they get a go-to option on the outside at fair value. It fills the loudest need on the roster.
They did well to land Chris Johnson in the 38th pick, just ahead of his grade. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
Emmanuel McNeil-Warren in pick No. 59 is a gift, value that borders on unfair. It thickens a room that could stand to be thicker.
A tidy bit of business in slot 71, where Jake Slaughter graded well above the range. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
Bryce Lance in No. 106 is a bargain the rest of the room will envy. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
Malik Muhammad at pick 109 nudges the ledger their way without any fuss. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
They paid sticker price for Kaytron Allen in the 147th overall pick, and that is fine. A need, and now a little less of one.
Kaleb Elarms-Orr at Round 6, Pick 6 is a sensible buy, a touch better than market for the linebacker. Not urgent, but hardly pointless.
VJ Payne slid further than he should have, and pick No. 209 is lovely value for the safety. A want dressed up as a pick, at a spot they had covered.
They reached a country mile for Eli Heidenreich at the 223rd pick, and the board is aghast. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.