B
Washington Commanders
Caldwell should have been long gone. The Commanders pounced, and earned a B.
by Maddmax ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 7 picks
· 1 steals
· 2 reaches
The Commanders did not reach, did not trade up, did not blink. They just waited, and Jeff Caldwell fell into No. 209. The bottom line is a respectable B.
The tight end hole is the one line item this class does not answer. Reaching for Zuhn III left real value on the table behind him. Job largely done: wide receiver settled and 4 of 8 of the wish list covered.
They came away with juice, if not much beef up front.
In sum, a sturdy weekend with one asterisk, the tight end spot they never got to.
Pick-by-Pick
Nothing to complain about; Jeremiyah Love went a shade earlier than his grade, which is fine. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
They paid sticker price for Daylen Everette in pick No. 77, and that is fine. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
No edge and no loss on Bryce Lance in pick 116; it is a wash and a sensible one. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
A premium they did not need to pay, Demond Claiborne a notch or two before his time. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
VJ Payne at slot 187 is right where the board had him, plain and simple. Depth more than a fix, but depth they can use.
Somehow Jeff Caldwell was still sitting there in No. 209, and they pounced on premier wide receiver value. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
The board had cheaper options than Trey Zuhn III at the 223rd pick, and it noticed. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.