B-
Washington Commanders
The steal of the weekend belongs to the Commanders and Caldwell: B-.
by Maddmax ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 9 picks
· 4 steals
· 2 reaches
You could see the war room lean forward. Jeff Caldwell at slot 223 is the sort of fall that does not happen, except it just did.
They will regret leaving offensive lineman for another day if the season turns on it. Rolder has a lot of ground to make up just to look fairly priced.
They went 4 of 8 on their needs, which is most of what a draft is for.
All told, a solid class that does its job everywhere but offensive lineman.
Pick-by-Pick
In the 7th overall pick they get an enforcer at safety. Need was not the driver here.
Bryce Lance in the 92nd pick is exactly on the number, no argument either way. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
Nice patience on Malik Muhammad, who had no business lasting to the Round 4 slot. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
They stopped a slide they were happy to see, landing Hezekiah Masses in No. 147. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
A tidy bit of business in pick No. 180, where Kevin Coleman Jr. graded well above the range. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
A conviction pick on J'Mari Taylor at slot 187 that the board grades a round light. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
Dallen Bentley in Round 6, Pick 28 is fine work, a shade of surplus and no downside. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
Jimmy Rolder in pick 218 is early enough to raise a brow, if not a full objection. Depth more than a fix, but depth they can use.
Jeff Caldwell in the 223rd overall pick should not have been possible, and that is the whole point. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.