A-
Washington Commanders
The Commanders won the weekend at the trade table. Grade: A-.
by Maddmax ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 9 picks
· 3 steals
· 4 reaches
The real work happened on the phones. The Commanders fleeced their trade partners, turning their picks into a noticeably bigger pile than they started with. Add it all up and it grades out a clean A-.
The Heidenreich pick is the one the value grade keeps tripping over. If one pick saves this weekend, it is Clark.
A whole weekend of picks and tight end is somehow still a want.
Bottom line, with Sonny Styles leading the way, this is a class that should pay off fast and rarely be regretted.
Pick-by-Pick
In the 26th overall pick they get a three-down second-level presence, outstanding value to boot. More want than need.
A quiet steal in Round 2, Pick 11: Omar Cooper Jr. for less than the market said. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
Davison Igbinosun at pick No. 71 is a conviction pick that outran the value. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
Fair-plus on Connor Lew, a quiet win that adds up over a draft. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
Somehow Bud Clark was still sitting there in the 126th pick, and they pounced on premier safety value. A minor need, but a need all the same.
Demond Claiborne in slot 147 is the kind of reach that only looks good if he outplays it. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
Jeff Caldwell at the Round 6 slot is neither steal nor reach, just the going rate. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
They paid up for Jadon Canady at pick 209 when waiting would have done the job. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
A wild overpay on Eli Heidenreich in No. 223, the sort that defines a class for the wrong reasons. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.