All the focus seems to remain centered on a pair of Ohio State Buckeyes for the Washington Commanders first selection in the 2026 NFL Draft.
For the final time ahead of round one slated to begin tonight, the latest mock drafts remains largely focused on the Washington Commanders selecting an Ohio State Buckeye. Which side of the ball still remains split even hours out.
The twist was Daniel Jeremiah projected Arizona State wide receiver Jordyn Tyson to Washington in his final mock draft on Wednesday night.
"The Commanders have a screaming need at wide receiver. There are legitimate durability concerns about Tyson, but they are willing to take a chance on the upside," Jeremiah said before adding that safety Caleb Downs is a possibility.
Tate has been largely linked to the New York Giants with questions whether he would come off the board with either the fifth or tenth overall pick, yet it's the latest shred of evidence that Washington is prioritizing the wide receiver room in the draft.
Yet both CBS Sports and NFL.com pointed to Ohio State wide receiver Carnell Tate as the pick, one of the most frequently projected picks through the 2025 season into the offseason.
It has been the most frequent projection with all eyes on how Washington will ultimately address its wide receiver room after a handful of depth signings and a void opposite of veteran Terry McLaurin. Both Jordyn Tyson and Makai Lemon have drawn buzz as other wide receivers expected to come off the board inside the top three picks, but if a wide receiver has been projected to Washington, it's been Tate all offseason with a chance to add to former Buckeye wide receivers to the offense.
"If Washington misses the run on defensive talent and Jeremiyah Love is gone, where do they go? Wide receiver is the most logical path. The Commanders pair one Ohio State receiver with another," CBS Sports wrote.
"The Ohio State run continues with a fourth straight Buckeye flying off the board," NFL.com added. "The Jayden Daniels hype has cooled down after an injury-riddled sophomore campaign, but giving the quarterback a premium running mate for Terry McLaurin (another Buckeye!) could heat the offense back up again."
The Athletic and ESPN both pointed to Tate's defensive teammate, linebacker Sonny Styles.
General manager Adam Peters raved about the Buckeye linebacker after a large contingent of Commander staffers, both front office and coaches, made the trip to Columbus last month for Ohio State's Pro Day. Styles has been viewed as a "future Fred Warner" with other reporters pointing to Adam Peters aware of the impact Warner had on the San Francisco 49ers' defense.
"The Commanders have devoted much of the offseason to rebuilding their defense, and now they get their centerpiece: the draft’s top linebacker and one of its finest players overall," The Athletic wrote. "Styles has the coveted size for his position and freakish athleticism that he put on display at the NFL combine. He can quickly diagnose and react, using his elite speed to cut off running angles and his coverage skills as a former safety to play in space. He’s also a powerful blitzer, allowing Washington to use him in multiple ways."
The question will be whether Styles remains available with some talk that he could land inside the top five with the New York Giants, who pick fifth, a realistic landing spot. If Washington does opt to turn to defense with the first pick, it nearly cements the need to add a wide receiver with the lone day two pick, but it'd be a pick that could cement what is expected to be a vastly improved defense.
"Commanders coach Dan Quinn has reportedly told contacts that Styles is his favorite player in the class, and without a second-round pick, Washington must determine which positions have depth. Wide receiver is one of them, as Chris Brazzell II (Tennessee) could be the team's Round 3 target."
Time will tell if either projection proves to be right - or if the Commanders do opt to move back in the first round. The first round officially begins at 8 PM tonight.