B
Washington Commanders
The Commanders let Allen fall into their laps, and walked away with a B.
by Maddmax ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 9 picks
· 5 steals
· 2 reaches
When a board-topper like Cyrus Allen slides to pick No. 223, you do not overthink it, and the Commanders did not. They moved the roster forward and banked a B for it.
The tight end hole is the one line item this class does not answer. Reaching for Whittington left real value on the table behind him.
All told, a draft that does its job without fuss, and there is real value in that.
Pick-by-Pick
In pick 18 they get a weapon on the perimeter at a price that makes it sweeter. It fills the loudest need on the roster.
They read the board right and Anthony Hill Jr. was the payoff at pick No. 49. A minor need, but a need all the same.
A slide stopped in the 71st pick, with Keionte Scott worth more than the price. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
They paid up for Zxavian Harris at Round 5, Pick 7 when waiting would have done the job. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
Beau Stephens at the 163rd overall pick is a sound buy, the sort that quietly helps a class. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
A reasonable price with a little left over, Matt Gulbin in No. 187. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
Steal is underselling it; Domani Jackson at the Round 6 slot is a heist with the alarm still ringing. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
Noah Whittington in slot 209 is the kind of reach that only looks good if he outplays it. The roster fit checks out.
Cyrus Allen at Round 7, Pick 7 is the steal of the weekend, a first-round talent at a bargain-bin price. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.