With all the talk about whether the Washington Commanders ultimately trade its top ten pick, one analyst projects them to while snagging a wide receiver with the first selection
All the talk this week has centered around whether the Washington Commanders will ultimately make a move when it comes time to make a pick with the seventh overall selection in the 2026 NFL Draft. Whether that ultimately materializes is something that remains unclear, largely because how the second through sixth pick play out remain a wildcard less than one week away.
The Commanders enter the draft with six picks, including two in the top 100, to fuel questions about whether a trade will ultimately materialize. While some outlets like The Athletic and CBS Sports projected that Washington sticks and picks, Todd McShay pointed to a draft night trade that makes sense.
McShay's latest mock draft projected the Commanders to trade the seventh overall pick to the New York Jets in exchange for the 16th overall pick, 44th overall pick in the second round and 140th overall pick in the fourth round. Why does it make sense? It keeps Washington within range of adding an impact player at one of the top positional needs while also recouping the second round pick traded to the Houston Texans in the Laremy Tunsil trade last offseason.
While McShay projected the Jets to draft former Ohio State wide receiver Carnell Tate, who has been linked to Washington for nearly four months, he also projected the Commanders to turn to another Big Ten receiver with the 16th overall pick in former Indiana wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr, who reportedly met with the front office.
McShay's draft also projected former Arizona State wide receiver Jordyn Tyson to land with the Kansas City Chiefs with the ninth pick and former USC wide receiver Makai Lemon to the Los Angeles Rams with the 13th overall pick, leaving the next best available wide receiver to the Commanders.
If Cooper is the pick with Washington in desperate need of adding a clear weapon in the room alongside Terry McLaurin, does it deliver? The former Hoosier emerged as a star in 2025 where he posted one 100-yard receiving game and a 200-yard receiving game along with seven games recording five or more catches. His 13 touchdowns ranked tied with two players for the third most among any FBS player, while his game-winning toe tap touchdown to lift Indiana over Penn State in Happy Valley cemented his name as a name to know across college football.
With needs at both cornerback and center, the additional two picks give Washington a chance to deliver on the type of talent it needs to round out the roster as general manager Adam Peters noted each trade is a case by case basis, adding it's more likely than not the Commanders stick with the seventh overall pick.