C
Washington Commanders
The Commanders robbed the room for Allen. Final grade: C.
by Maddmax ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 8 picks
· 3 steals
· 2 reaches
The Commanders did not reach, did not trade up, did not blink. They just waited, and Cyrus Allen fell into the 223rd pick.
Overpaying at the table undid a lot of the good work elsewhere. They will regret leaving tight end for another day if the season turns on it.
Claiborne has a lot of ground to make up just to look fairly priced. On the needs board they went 5 of 8, with wide receiver the one that mattered most.
So much rides on Mansoor Delane that the real verdict is a season or two away.
Pick-by-Pick
In Round 1, Pick 7 they get a press-man option on the boundary. Exactly the need they had to hit.
Christen Miller at the 71st pick is money in the bank, a interior defensive lineman taken below his worth. The roster fit checks out.
A reach for Connor Lew in the Round 3 slot; a little patience would have been rewarded. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
A tidy little value on Harold Perkins Jr. in slot 136, a step better than break-even. A minor need, but a need all the same.
They went early on Demond Claiborne in pick No. 147, and the value did not follow. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
A straight-up fair deal on Jeff Caldwell at pick 187, value and slot in agreement. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
Ephesians Prysock at No. 209 is daylight robbery; nobody expected him to last. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
You do not let a wide receiver like Cyrus Allen reach the 223rd overall pick and blink. They did not. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.