Two outlets project Washington Commanders to draft Ohio State star

With one week until the Washington Commanders officially turn their attention to fixing the holes across both the roster and coaching staff, they could enter the 2026 NFL Draft with favorable draft position.

With Washington losing to Dallas on Christmas Day and the Cleveland Browns pulling off the AFC North upset against the Pittsburgh Steelers at home, setting up a Sunday Night Matchup between Pittsburgh and Baltimore to end the regular season, Sunday's result proved favorable for Washington with the two teams now tied for the third-worst record in the league. Cleveland, though, sits ahead of Washington in the tiebreaker due to strength of schedule (.491 vs. .507) as the Commanders will now root for a Browns win vs. Cincinnati next Sunday.

Washington could climb as high as two depending on multiple games, including the Giants' home game vs. Dallas but odds point to the team picking outside of the top five, giving the front office a closer look at what draft prospects may be available when it comes time to make a selection in the 2026 NFL Draft.

Heading into the final week, Washington is slotted to pick sixth overall and after wide receivers drew the early focus. And with Sunday's results complete, Washington can't draft any later than sixth overall. While the offense remains a question mark with Ohio State's Carnell Tate and Arizona State's Jordyn Tyson previously in the mix for Washington, both PFF and CBS Sports pointed to Ohio State safety Caleb Downs as the Commanders' projected selection with their first pick.

"Downs could be a Troy Polamalu-level talent in the NFL," CBS Sports wrote. "He's only 5-foot-11, and he may not end up running a 4.35-second 40-yard dash, but I don't care. Not even a little bit. Both Kyle Hamilton and Brian Branch Jr. slipped on draft day because of mediocre 40 times. They're two of the best young defensive backs in football. Downs is a run-game enforcer and has the sideline-to-sideline juice, coupled with the short-area burst, to excel in pass coverage."

While some have also evaluated the possibility of Miami (FL) edge Rueben Bain Jr. or Auburn edge Kedric Faulk coming off the board with Washington's pick, Downs has drawn buzz as arguably the best prospect in the 2026 NFL Draft cycle. Downs became the third Buckeye ever to win Jim Thorpe Award while becoming a consensus All-American by Walter Camp All-American, CBS Sports and On3.

"Regardless of the position, the Commanders must add star power on defense this offseason. Ohio State safety Caleb Downs is arguably the best defensive player in college football. Downs has earned at least an 83.8 PFF overall grade in each of his three college seasons. His awareness and versatility make him a seamless fit in any defense, and Washington would be wise to select him as the new leader of its secondary if available."

Downs, who began his college career at Alabama, has remained among the best defensive backs across college football after being named consecutive Tatum-Woodson Defensive Back of the Year selection, along with being named Nagurksi-Woodson Defensive Player of the Year in his final season of college football. Whether he adds a second national championship to his resume remains to be seen with Ohio State taking on Miami (FL) in the Cotton Bowl on New Year's Eve, but if available, Downs would give Washington a much-needed upgrade in the secondary and on a defense in need of star talent after ending 2025 ranked near or at the bottom of nearly every major defensive category.

2026 NFL Draft order heading into week 18: