B-
Washington Commanders
The Commanders let Wheatley fall into their laps, and walked away with a B-.
by Maddmax ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 9 picks
· 3 steals
· 5 reaches
Every so often the board makes a mistake, and the Commanders were there to profit. Zakee Wheatley, the No. 90 name on the board, should have been long gone before Round 4, Pick 31. Solid and sensible more than spectacular: a B-.
Lance has a lot of ground to make up just to look fairly priced. Overpaying at the table undid a lot of the good work elsewhere.
The tight end spot stays a question, and it was the one they most needed an answer at.
A workmanlike haul that should hold up just fine.
Pick-by-Pick
In the 31st overall pick they get a sticky cover corner at a price that makes it sweeter. The biggest hole, addressed.
Bryce Lance in the 63rd pick is a bet on their own eyes over everyone else's grade. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
A wild overpay on Brian Parker II in No. 86, the sort that defines a class for the wrong reasons. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
You do not let a wide receiver like Deion Burks reach the Round 4 slot and blink. They did not. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
A top-tier safety at a bargain, Zakee Wheatley in pick No. 131, plain and simple. Depth more than a fix, but depth they can use.
Demond Claiborne in Round 5, Pick 7 is the kind of reach that only looks good if he outplays it. A need, and now a little less of one.
Kaleb Elarms-Orr in slot 187 is fine work, a shade of surplus and no downside. Useful depth more than a marquee fix.
Jadon Canady at pick 209 is a conviction pick that outran the value. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
They reached into another round for Eli Heidenreich, and the board is nowhere close to agreeing. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.