B
Washington Commanders
The Commanders cashed the board's mistake on Stukes: B.
by Maddmax ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 10 picks
· 3 steals
· 3 reaches
Somewhere a general manager is explaining how Treydan Stukes got past him. The Commanders do not have to explain a thing at Round 4, Pick 26.
Reaching for Payne left real value on the table behind him. They punted on edge rusher, and it is the miss that keeps the grade honest. The roster is better shaped than it was, with wide receiver chief among the fixes.
Bottom line, more hits than misses and a roster nudged the right way.
Pick-by-Pick
In the 7th pick they get an every-down engine for the run game. A clean fit for the roster.
They barely believed it either: Connor Lew still on the board at the Round 4 slot. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
A wide receiver of that caliber at pick No. 117 is the definition of value, full stop. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
Taking Treydan Stukes in the 126th overall pick is close to grand larceny; a cornerback that good had no business lasting this long. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
A reach on Beau Stephens in pick 147; the board had better options right there. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
Ephesians Prysock at Round 5, Pick 24 is the pick scouts circle, and not in a good way. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
A wild overpay on VJ Payne in slot 165, the sort that defines a class for the wrong reasons. Useful body for a position without much behind the starter.
Jeff Caldwell in No. 187 is exactly on the number, no argument either way. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
A reasonable price with a little left over, Dallen Bentley in pick No. 209. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
Jimmy Rolder in Round 7, Pick 7 is fair value, right on his grade. A quiet depth add at a thin-ish spot.