B+
Washington Commanders
The Commanders won the weekend at the trade table. Grade: B+.
by Maddmax ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 7 picks
· 0 steals
· 3 reaches
If you want a masterclass in dealing, watch the Commanders, who turned every swap into a profit this weekend. Nothing here to lose sleep over; call it a B+.
They will need Parker II to outplay his draft slot in a hurry to justify it. For all the activity, tight end went untouched, which is hard to explain. Nik Bonitto gives the group a proven body among the projects.
They went 4 of 8 on their needs, which is most of what a draft is for.
Nothing here to lose sleep over, and plenty to feel decent about.
Pick-by-Pick
A clean, defensible pick in Round 1, Pick 12 with a little surplus value in Mansoor Delane. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
Value said wait; Brian Parker II in No. 71 says they were not listening. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
Malik Benson in pick No. 147 is fine work, a shade of surplus and no downside. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
They paid sticker price for Ephesians Prysock in the Round 5 slot, and that is fine. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
No drama and no debate, VJ Payne went about where he belonged in pick 187. It thickens a room that could stand to be thicker.
Noah Whittington in slot 209 is early enough to raise a brow, if not a full objection. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
A swing that ignored the value entirely, Trey Zuhn III well ahead of where he belonged. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.