Matt Gulbin Adds Needed Versatility to Washington Commanders OL

The Commanders cut Tyler Biadasz this offseason and walked into the 2026 NFL Draft without a clear answer at center. They walked out of Pittsburgh with Matt Gulbin at pick 209 — a decision that didn't generate headlines, didn't trend on social media, and won't show up in any highlight reel this summer. It also might be the smartest late-round offensive line pick the Commanders have made in years. Here's the case for why.

Gulbin grew up in Wilton, Connecticut, a three-star recruit who signed with Wake Forest in 2021 as the 1,031st-ranked prospect in the country. Nobody was projecting him to the NFL. He started 23 games across four years with the Demon Deacons — 11 at right guard, 11 at left guard, and one at center — earned honorable mention All-ACC recognition in 2024 after a career-high 806 snaps at left guard, and then made a decision that defined his draft stock. He transferred to Michigan State for his final season, moved to center full-time, and was immediately voted team captain by a new locker room that didn't know him. That's the kind of thing coaches and scouts notice. He finished his career as the only offensive lineman in the entire 2026 draft class with double-digit starts at all three interior spots — center, left guard, and right guard.

His 2025 season at Michigan State was the one that got him drafted. Starting all 11 games at center, Gulbin allowed just two sacks and five pressures across 400-plus pass-blocking snaps. He was a firm post on double teams, efficient in zone combo blocks, and tough enough to absorb contact at the point of attack without losing his leverage. Those aren't developmental traits. Those are NFL-ready traits.

Watch Gulbin on film, and the first thing you notice is the anchor. At 6-foot-4, 312 pounds with a flat-back posture and tight hand placement, he doesn't move when bull rushers hit him. Big Board Lab described his re-anchor ability as "among the best in the entire 2026 draft class regardless of position" — a significant statement for a center who played the position full-time for only one season. His power profile in the run game is legitimate too — upper-body strength and leg drive that allows him to torque defenders, generate horizontal displacement, and finish blocks through the whistle rather than coasting on first contact.

Positional versatility is the other defining trait. Five years, four positions — right guard, left guard, center, and brief right tackle experience. In a David Blough offense that may require interior flexibility depending on health and scheme, Gulbin is a lineman who can be plugged in wherever needed. Blough's zone-blocking system specifically rewards the calculated angles and combo blocking efficiency that Gulbin has spent five years developing. His best football will come in a zone-heavy offense, specifically because his game is defined by calculated angles — which is exactly what Washington is installing.

Gulbin played center full-time for one season. The pre-snap read responsibility at center in the NFL is dramatically more complex than anything he faced in college, and the film from 2025 shows him misdiagnosing stunts and blitz packages multiple times — most notably against Minnesota, where Michigan State's protection broke down repeatedly on twist concepts. His lateral agility and foot speed are below average for the position, which becomes a liability against twitchy interior rushers who can win with quickness rather than power. His hand timing and punch placement need refinement — he gets away with wide, late punches in college because of raw strength, but NFL defensive tackles will exploit an open chest.

The comp that keeps coming up is Ted Karras. A Day 3 pick out of Illinois who shared a nearly identical physical profile and skill set, Karras developed his eye discipline and stunt recognition over time and carved out a long NFL career through power, intelligence, and reliability. He's never been a Pro Bowl center. He's been something almost more valuable — a dependable starting center who never beats his team, wins his individual matchups in the run game, and holds up in protection when the pocket needs to be clean.

Gulbin's most realistic year-one path is as Washington's backup center and interior swing lineman — the player who can step in at center, left guard, or right guard if an injury creates a gap. Washington's projected starter at center heading into training camp is veteran Nick Allegretti, which means Gulbin has time to develop behind a proven interior lineman rather than being thrown into the fire immediately. That's the best-case scenario for a player with one year of center experience.

The ceiling here is a starting center on a zone-blocking offense within two to three years. Every analyst who has watched significant Gulbin tape reaches the same conclusion — the power floor is legitimate, the leadership is real, and the trajectory of his career has been consistently upward. Three-star recruit to All-ACC honorable mention. Wake Forest backup to Michigan State team captain. Sixth-round pick to eventual starter. Washington has seen this movie before with late-round offensive linemen who outperform their draft slot. Don't be surprised if Gulbin is the next one.

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