With one day until the 2026 NFL Draft begins, we dive into our final seven round mock draft for the Washington Commanders
The 2026 NFL Draft kicks off Thursday night in Pittsburgh, and Washington is on the clock at No. 7 with a lot to prove and without a full slot of picks. No second round. No fourth round. Six selections to reshape a roster that went 5-12 a season ago and watched its offense fall from seventh in total yards to 22nd in the span of twelve months.
Adam Peters has been clear all offseason — this team needs to get younger, faster, and more explosive on both sides of the ball. Here's what I think Washington does when this coming weekend in the Steel City.
Round 1, Pick 7 — Carnell Tate, WR, Ohio State
Caleb Downs and Mansoor Delane were also available, but Washington's biggest hole on the roster is WR, and I couldn't pass up pairing Jayden Daniels with an elite weapon. Tate posted zero drops in 2025 on a nearly 13-yard average depth of target, won 87.5% of his contested catch situations, and is the most polished route runner in this entire class. Pairing him with McLaurin forces defenses out of the bracket coverage that has neutralized Washington's passing game for two seasons, and at just 21 years old, Tate is the long-term WR1 successor Daniels gets to grow alongside rather than simply borrow from.
Round 3, Pick 71 — Daylen Everette, CB, Georgia
Washington's cornerback depth behind the starters is thin, and Everette is one of the highest-upside boundary corners left on the board at this point in the draft. The 6-foot-1, 196-pound Georgia product ran a 4.38 at the combine, posted 50 tackles and a career-high 10 pass breakups in 2025, and was a two-year starter in the SEC against NFL-caliber competition every Saturday. His zone instincts still need refinement, and his hip transitions are a legitimate knock, but Daronte Jones runs a two-high scheme that lets corners play with eyes on the quarterback — exactly the environment where Everette's processing and high speed are most effective. The ceiling here is a quality boundary starter, and the floor at pick 71 is a press-heavy rotational piece who can contribute immediately on special teams. Everette was among the prospects to meet with the Commanders on a top-30 visit.
Round 5, Pick 147 — Jager Burton, C/G, Kentucky
Washington released Tyler Biadasz this offseason, and the center position is unsettled heading into 2026. Burton is a 6-foot-4, 312-pound interior lineman who started 47 career games across center and guard at Kentucky — running a jaw-dropping 4.94 forty at the combine with a 1.76 ten-yard split that confirmed his elite athleticism. He's not a mauler at the point of attack, but in David Blough's zone-blocking scheme, Burton's ability to reach landmarks on combo blocks, pull across the formation, and explode to the second level to engage linebackers is exactly the fit Washington needs. Lance Zierlein described him as built for a zone-heavy running game, which is precisely what this offense is installing.
Round 6, Pick 187 — J'Mari Taylor, RB, Virginia
A zero-star walk-on who became the ACC's rushing champion — Taylor's story alone earns the pick, but the production backs it up. He posted 1,062 rushing yards, 15 touchdowns, and 253 receiving yards in his lone season at Virginia after transferring from NCCU, earning First-Team All-ACC and becoming the Cavaliers' first 1,000-yard rusher since 2018. With 97 career receptions averaging over 8 yards per catch, he can contribute on third down without coming off the field, and his compact power and elite contact balance give Washington a short-yardage option behind Croskey-Merritt and Rachaad White. At round six, the value is self-evident.
Although I think the best fit is Adam Randall from Clemson, I wouldn't be surprised if he is taken either before Washington's pick at 147 or before their following pick at 187. That being said, I don't anticipate drafting a running back in the 5th round when center is a bigger need.
Round 6, Pick 209 — Harold Perkins Jr., LB, LSU
Once projected as a top-five pick, Perkins' stock slid due to an ACL tear in 2024 and positional uncertainty — but the talent that made him the consensus No. 8 overall prospect coming out of high school hasn't disappeared. At 6-foot-1, 223 pounds with a 4.45 forty, he finished his LSU career with 35.5 tackles for loss and 17 sacks in 43 games, including 4.5 sacks and three interceptions in his 2025 comeback season. Washington's linebacker room needs athleticism, and Perkins is a Swiss Army knife who can play WILL linebacker, rush off the edge on passing downs, or man up in the slot as a nickel blitzer in Daronte Jones' scheme. At pick 209 for a former top-ten talent, this is the highest-ceiling bet in the entire draft class.
Round 7, Pick 223 — Jalen Huskey, S, Maryland
Washington closes the draft by staying local and adding secondary depth that fits the scheme. Huskey is a former cornerback turned safety who posted 11 interceptions across three college seasons and earned Second-Team All-Big Ten in 2025 after transferring from Bowling Green to Maryland. He's not a burner — his 4.55 forty caps his coverage range — but he processes route combinations faster than most safeties at his level, manipulates quarterback eyes in zone to generate turnovers, and brings genuine positional versatility having played corner, nickel, and safety. At pick 223, Washington gets a zone-match safety who fits Jones' two-high principles and can contribute immediately on special teams while developing into a dime-package contributor behind the starters.