B-
Washington Commanders
Best value of the weekend goes to the Commanders for Smith: B-.
by Maddmax ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 7 picks
· 4 steals
· 1 reaches
You could see the war room lean forward. Genesis Smith at pick No. 126 is the sort of fall that does not happen, except it just did. Nothing here to lose sleep over; call it a B-.
They punted on tight end, and it is the miss that keeps the grade honest. They will need Whittington to outplay his draft slot in a hurry to justify it.
They gave back a little on the phones for the right to move.
Good work on the whole, with tight end the one box left unchecked.
Pick-by-Pick
In the 17th overall pick they get a No. 1 receiver, and a steal at that. The biggest hole, addressed.
A slide stopped in pick 71, with Jake Slaughter worth more than the price. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
They paid sticker price for Malik Muhammad in Round 3, Pick 29, and that is fine. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
They robbed the room for Genesis Smith here, a fall nobody at the table saw coming. A quiet depth add at a thin-ish spot.
Nice patience on Zxavian Harris, who had no business lasting to pick No. 165. The roster fit checks out.
A conviction pick on Noah Whittington at the 211th pick that the board grades a round light. It fills a real need, too.
Fair-plus on Keyshaun Elliott, a quiet win that adds up over a draft. It adds depth where they could use a little.