B+
Washington Commanders
The Commanders fleeced the room on the phones and earned a B+.
by skojec22 ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 9 picks
· 5 steals
· 1 reaches
Give the war room a raise for the dealing alone. The Commanders came out ahead on every exchange that mattered, and it was not close.
They punted on quarterback, and it is the miss that keeps the grade honest. Tucker has a lot of ground to make up just to look fairly priced.
Landing Bentley that late papers over a lot of smaller sins. With quarterback, running back and other spots unsolved, spending premium capital on linebacker is the choice that costs them.
All told, a solid class that does its job everywhere but quarterback.
Pick-by-Pick
Arvell Reese slipping to pick No. 22 is the kind of luck good rooms make for themselves. It adds depth where they could use a little.
A surprising call. With quarterback, running back and other spots still to address, they spent slot 23 on Sonny Styles, a linebacker they were not short of.
They barely believed it either: Dillon Thieneman still on the board at Round 2, Pick 25. Useful body for a position without much behind the starter.
Jake Slaughter at the 71st pick is the sort of value that quietly wins a weekend. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
This one needs a full-page explanation: Nadame Tucker in the Round 5 slot, miles early. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
Aaron Anderson in No. 187 is a bargain the rest of the room will envy. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
A tidy little value on Eric McAlister in the 204th overall pick, a step better than break-even. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
Toriano Pride Jr. in pick 209 is exactly on the number, no argument either way. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
Dallen Bentley at No. 223 is daylight robbery; nobody expected him to last. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.