Analysis: How Washington Commanders Attacked The 2026 NFL Draft

The 2026 NFL Draft is in the books, and Washington walked out of Pittsburgh with a class that directly addressed some of the roster's most pressing needs. Between a potential franchise linebacker at the top of the draft, a polished route runner who excels in creating separation, and multiple developmental depth pieces, several of these picks have the talent and profile to grow into legitimate starters. 

Washington went defense with the seventh pick, and Dan Quinn got his guy, Sonny Styles. It sounds like the staff was shocked he was still on the board, and it was a no-brainer decision. 

Styles is 6-foot-5, 244 pounds — a freak athlete who posted 100 tackles, 10.5 TFLs, and six sacks in his first year at linebacker after converting from safety, then backed it up with 82 tackles and 6.5 TFLs in 2025. A 4.46 forty and a 43.5-inch vertical at 244 pounds at the combine is rare. His safety background gives him coverage ability that most linebackers at this size simply don't have, which is exactly what Daronte Jones needs to run his two-high, assignment-sound defense. Adam Peters referenced Fred Warner when explaining what an elite linebacker means to a franchise. Styles has that same ceiling, and Washington now has him.

Washington needed to add a receiver who could win from the slot and take pressure off Terry McLaurin, and Williams fits that profile cleanly. He finished his Clemson career with 208 receptions for 2,336 yards and 21 touchdowns — ranking near the top of the 2026 class with 2.21 yards per route run over his final two seasons — and posted 75 catches, 904 yards, and 11 touchdowns in his breakout 2024 season. There was a lot of talk about Williams being a first-round pick before the 2025 season, until Clemson struggled offensively and injuries derailed his senior year. 

PFF rated his route running at 8/10 and his change-of-direction flexibility at 9/10. Todd McShay's Ladd McConkey comp is accurate — a slot receiver who wins with craft and quickness rather than straight-line speed. The separation ability and route intelligence are the real thing. In Blough's motion-heavy offense, Williams is a third-down weapon Daniels can trust.

Washington's pass rush got a high-upside developmental addition in round five. Josephs spent three years learning behind James Pearce Jr. and Byron Young before emerging as Tennessee's top pass rusher in 2025 — finishing with four sacks, 15 combined TFLs across his final two seasons, and three forced fumbles in each of those years. His first-step explosiveness is legitimate; scouts noted his get-off is among the best in the entire class, losing no speed through his second and third steps off the ball.

The run defense and consistency are areas that need work, and his 240-pound frame will need to add strength to hold up against NFL blockers every week. But as a rotational edge rusher behind Oweh and Chaisson in year one, Washington doesn't need Josephs to be finished — they need the ceiling, and it's there.

Washington added one of the most reliable power backs in this class at round six, which is a steal. Allen rushed for 1,303 yards and 15 touchdowns as a Penn State senior — finishing as the school's all-time rushing yards leader with 4,180 career yards — and added 70 receptions across four seasons as a reliable check-down option.

At 5-foot-11 and 220 pounds, he converts speed into power efficiently, rarely goes down on first contact, and wins short-yardage situations with the leg drive you need inside the red zone. He's not a home-run hitter — his 4.55 forty caps the big-play upside — but slotting alongside Croskey-Merritt and Rachaad White, Allen gives Washington exactly what a committee backfield needs: a dependable short-yardage grinder who doesn't beat himself.

Washington cut Tyler Biadasz this offseason with no clear replacement at center, and Gulbin is a sensible answer at pick 209. A Wake Forest transfer who finished at Michigan State, he's the only offensive lineman in this entire class with double-digit starts at all three interior spots — center, left guard, and right guard — and was named team captain in his final season. He's a Day 3 interior lineman who plays with a brawler's mentality, wins in tight quarters, and projects as a starting-caliber center in the right zone-blocking environment.

He needs refinement against stunts and blitzes, and his foot speed can be a liability against twitchy interior rushers — but in Blough's scheme, his calculated angles and movement skills translate well. The ceiling is a long-term starting center. The floor is the most versatile interior backup on the roster.

This pick surprised me. I know Washington had a pre-draft meeting with him, but I didn't expect Adam Peters to pull the trigger with some of the other talent that was on the board, specifically in the secondary.

Peters closed the draft by adding a developmental quarterback behind Jayden Daniels and Marcus Mariota. Kaliakmanis spent five seasons in the Big Ten — starting at Minnesota before transferring to Rutgers — finishing his career with 8,604 passing yards, 55 touchdowns, and 27 interceptions while starting every game across his final two seasons. The 56% completion rate and modest physical testing cap the ceiling, and this isn't a guy anyone expects to challenge for meaningful snaps. But at pick 223, you're not buying a starter — you're buying a developmental arm and enough size to hold a roster spot while competing with Sam Hartman for the third-string job behind one of the best young quarterbacks in football.

Overall, I would grade this draft an A. My prediction is that 2-3 of these players are starters this season.