A pair of former Ohio State Buckeyes join Makai Lemon among the three players linked to the Washington Commanders in the 2026 NFL Draft
Now two days away, the rumors and speculation is running rampant with all the smokescreens out in full effect. That proves to be a hurdle for the Commanders, but Peter Schrager of ESPN laid out a pretty clear draft plan in his latest intel-based reporting with a pair of wide receivers leading the way.
That starts with former Ohio State wide receiver Carnell Tate, who Schrager believes "is their guy."
"Carnell Tate could be sitting there at seven then you have your reliable wide receiver, you have another Ohio State guy, pair with Terry McLaurin and you go to work," Schrager said on Monday night's show.
It would mark the most expected outcome given Tate was first linked to Washington during the 2025 season and has arguably been the most frequently projected selection in mock drafts. The question has been whether the Commanders would turn defense with the first pick after head coach Dan Quinn watched one of the league's worst defenses materialize last season, but the free agency haul drastically altered that outlook with a handful of positions to address and round out.
The wildcard through the week has been linebacker Sonny Styles, who appears to be a realistic draft pick between the Tennessee Titans at four and New York Giants at five, though has been routinely pointed to as a fit in DC. Whether the Buckeyes star stays available as other teams have reportedly eyed a trade inside the top ten is a question, though general manager Adam Peters would love to add his "future Fred Warner."
Yet the wildcard for Washington may also be whether Tate is available at seven.
Schrager included Tate among his possibilities for the Titans at four while the New York Giants have been viewed as a strong candidate to take a receiver with one of their two top ten picks, though momentum has built around Arizona State wide receiver Jordyn Tyson.
If Tate isn't available, Schrager pointed to a wildcard and David Blough favorite: USC wide receiver Makai Lemon.
The former USC star and Bilentikoff Award winner has drawn comparisons to Amon-Ra St. Brown and one could argue he's the best fit in an eventual wide receiver room that includes McLaurin and Brandon Aiyuk. The question would be whether it's too early for the Commanders to make the move at seven with others pointing to the 10-20 pick range as more likely for Lemon, fueling the possibility of whether a trade could materialize.
Time will tell if it holds true, but it's clear the Commanders are days away from finding a weapon to add to the top of the wide receiver room as fans have hoped for months.