B-
Washington Commanders
The Commanders bled value on every deal, hence the B-.
by Maddmax ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 10 picks
· 3 steals
· 2 reaches
The phones were a trap the Commanders kept walking into, shipping out surplus on nearly every deal.
They will need Muhammad to outplay his draft slot in a hurry to justify it. The Caldwell steal is the beam this whole class leans on. A whole weekend of picks and edge rusher is somehow still a want.
All told, a draft that does its job without fuss, and there is real value in that.
Pick-by-Pick
In the Round 1 slot they get a moveable chess piece at tight end, outstanding value to boot. Exactly the need they had to hit.
Dillon Thieneman in No. 40 is fine work, a shade of surplus and no downside. It adds depth where they could use a little.
This one needs a full-page explanation: Logan Jones in slot 71, miles early. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
They talked themselves into Malik Muhammad at pick No. 74, and the board did not agree. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
They paid sticker price for De'Zhaun Stribling in the 109th pick, and that is fine. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
Nicholas Singleton is a better player than the 116th overall pick suggests; smart patience, rewarded. The roster fit checks out.
A clean, defensible pick in Round 5, Pick 7 with a little surplus value in Malik Benson. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
A market-rate cornerback, with the board and the slot shaking hands on Ephesians Prysock. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
Jeff Caldwell in Round 6, Pick 28 is the kind of fall that makes a whole class. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
Noah Whittington at slot 223 is right where the board had him, plain and simple. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.