B-
Washington Commanders
No fireworks, just a tidy B- for the Commanders.
by Maddmax ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 6 picks
· 0 steals
· 1 reaches
The war room fell hard for Eli Heidenreich, and it showed at the 209th pick: 41 picks ahead of a board that had other ideas.
That tight end hole did not close this weekend, and it was the biggest one on the wall. On the needs board they went 3 of 8, with wide receiver the one that mattered most. The back end got a real overhaul.
A workmanlike haul that should hold up just fine.
Pick-by-Pick
In No. 7 they get a two-high chess piece. Need was not the driver here.
Good price on Keionte Scott in the 71st overall pick, a hair ahead of his grade with no real quibbles. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
By-the-book stuff, Malik Benson at slot 147 squarely in line with his ranking. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
They did well to land Matt Gulbin in Round 6, Pick 6, just ahead of his grade. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
This one needs a full-page explanation: Eli Heidenreich in pick No. 209, miles early. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
They paid sticker price for Thaddeus Dixon in the Round 7 slot, and that is fine. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.