B-
Washington Commanders
The Commanders kept it disciplined and banked a B-.
by Kenny proctor ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 6 picks
· 1 steals
· 3 reaches
Boards are made to be trusted, and the Commanders shredded theirs for Patrick Payton. He came off 48 spots early, and the room will hear about it. They moved the roster forward and banked a B- for it.
The Caldwell pick alone nudges the whole weekend up a notch. For all the activity, tight end went untouched, which is hard to explain. They went 3 of 8 on their needs, which is most of what a draft is for.
In short, they left a little better than they arrived, which is the whole idea.
Pick-by-Pick
In pick 7 they get a double-digit-sack hope. A clean fit for the roster.
Value said wait; Jaishawn Barham in No. 71 says they were not listening. It fills a real need, too.
No drama and no debate, Isaiah World went about where he belonged in the 147th overall pick. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
A big swing on Justin Jefferson at pick No. 187, well ahead of any board in the building. Depth more than a fix, but depth they can use.
A wild overpay on Patrick Payton in the Round 6 slot, the sort that defines a class for the wrong reasons. A need, and now a little less of one.
They will replay Jeff Caldwell at Round 7, Pick 7 for years; that is how good the value is. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.