C+
Washington Commanders
Grand theft in No. 223: the Commanders steal Klein and grade out a C+.
by Maddmax ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 8 picks
· 5 steals
· 0 reaches
When a board-topper like Marlin Klein slides to No. 223, you do not overthink it, and the Commanders did not.
They handed away value on the phones that the picks cannot earn back. They punted on edge rusher, and it is the miss that keeps the grade honest. Wide receiver is handled and the depth chart looks a good deal healthier for it.
So much rides on Arvell Reese that the real verdict is a season or two away.
Pick-by-Pick
In the Round 1 slot they get a coverage-and-run second-level piece at fair value. More want than need.
They will replay Caleb Banks at the 61st pick for years; that is how good the value is. It fills a real need, too.
They let Zachariah Branch come to them and pounced at No. 71. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
They took Logan Jones at par in pick No. 84, which is nothing to complain about. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
Circle this one: Malik Muhammad at Round 4, Pick 20 is a fall that decides a draft. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
They robbed the room for Louis Moore here, a fall nobody at the table saw coming. Useful body for a position without much behind the starter.
No drama and no debate, Jadon Canady went about where he belonged in the 209th overall pick. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
Steal is underselling it; Marlin Klein at pick 223 is a heist with the alarm still ringing. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.