B-
Washington Commanders
A solid, sensible weekend for the Commanders: B-.
by Maddmax ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 9 picks
· 0 steals
· 3 reaches
When the story of this class is written, it opens with VJ Payne at the Round 5 slot, a reach of 44 spots that the board flatly disagrees with. A dependable weekend that grades out a B-.
A whole weekend of picks and tight end is somehow still a want. They were the ones paying the moving tax this weekend. On the needs board they went 4 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 pick 12 they get a sticky cover corner at fair value. The biggest hole, addressed.
Bryce Lance at the 87th overall pick is neither steal nor reach, just the going rate. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
A straight-up fair deal on Logan Jones at the Round 3 slot, value and slot in agreement. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
A tidy little value on Nicholas Singleton in No. 112, a step better than break-even. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
By-the-book stuff, Harold Perkins Jr. at pick No. 127 squarely in line with his ranking. Useful depth more than a marquee fix.
A wild overpay on VJ Payne in the 147th pick, the sort that defines a class for the wrong reasons. A quiet depth add at a thin-ish spot.
They paid sticker price for Ephesians Prysock in the 187th pick, and that is fine. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
Kaden Wetjen at the 209th overall pick is a clear overpay, with better names still on the board. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
This one needs a full-page explanation: Trey Zuhn III in No. 223, miles early. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.