B+
Washington Commanders
Lance should have been long gone. The Commanders pounced, and earned a B+.
by Maddmax ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 10 picks
· 5 steals
· 1 reaches
Somewhere a general manager is explaining how Bryce Lance got past him. The Commanders do not have to explain a thing at the 116th overall pick. No fireworks, but a solid B+.
Leaving edge rusher unaddressed is the roster risk they will have to answer for in the fall. Claiborne has a lot of ground to make up just to look fairly priced. A modest surplus at the table, banked quietly.
The back end got a real overhaul.
A tidy weekend of work that should hold up just fine.
Pick-by-Pick
In the Round 1 slot they get a sticky cover corner at fair value. Exactly the need they had to hit.
Value with a capital V on Omar Cooper Jr. in pick No. 43, a genuine coup. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
No edge and no loss on Keylan Rutledge in the 77th overall pick; it is a wash and a sensible one. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
They barely believed it either: Bryce Lance still on the board at pick 116. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
Brian Parker II at the 130th pick is daylight robbery; nobody expected him to last. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
A quiet steal in No. 147: Hezekiah Masses for less than the market said. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
DeMonte Capehart in Round 5, Pick 8 is a bargain the rest of the room will envy. It fills a real need, too.
They jumped the gun on Demond Claiborne, taking him earlier than his grade liked. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
Jadon Canady in the 223rd overall pick is exactly on the number, no argument either way. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
No drama and no debate, Miles Kitselman went about where he belonged in Round 7, Pick 11. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.