If Jeremiyah Love isn't the pick for the Commanders in the first round, there are some solid options on day three that could fit what David Blough is looking for in Washington's new look offense.
Which Day Three RB do you like most?
Washington's backfield is Jacory Croskey-Merritt's room to lose entering 2026. But a running back committee only works when the committee actually has depth — and right now, the Commanders are thin behind the first two names on the depth chart.
Whether Washington ends up pulling the trigger on a trade is also worth tracking as general manager Adam Peters addressed the front office's mindset during Thursday's press conference.
The good news is that even though Jeremiyah Love has gotten all the attention at the position, this draft class runs deep at running back past the first two rounds, and three names in particular should be on Adam Peters' radar before Pittsburgh's lights go down on Saturday.
Adam Randall, RB — Clemson | Projected: Round 4-6
Randall's story starts at wide receiver. He spent three years catching passes at Clemson and quietly built a résumé as one of the most athletic players on the roster. Then, ahead of his senior season, he switched positions. In one year as the Tigers' starting back, he had 168 carries for 814 yards and 10 touchdowns, a 4.8-yard-per-carry average, and 36 catches out of the backfield for 254 more yards. In a debut season at a new position, those numbers are hard to dismiss.
The wide receiver background shows up everywhere on film. Randall's hands are natural, his route running out of the backfield is clean, and his catch radius at 6-foot-3, 232 pounds is something most linebackers in the league aren't going to be able to match in coverage. He's the size of Derrick Henry and runs with the route-running intuition of someone who spent three years working against cornerbacks in practice. On outside zone runs, he presses the line, makes one decisive cut, and explodes through — exactly the kind of runner David Blough's zone-run principles reward.
The limitations are there and tied directly to inexperience. His pass protection needs work, his vision inside tight gaps can be tentative, and he doesn't have the short-area burst that elite early-down backs bring. The comp is a developmental AJ Dillon — big, athletic, raw, and with a ceiling that depends entirely on how quickly the position becomes natural. For a Day 4 pick, the upside is worth every bit of the risk. The Commanders' run game got 175 carries from Croskey-Merritt last season and almost nothing else. Randall gives them a power option they simply don't have.
Demond Claiborne, RB — Wake Forest | Projected: Round 3-6
Don't let the 5-foot-10, 188-pound frame fool you. Claiborne ran a 4.37 at the NFL Combine — third-fastest among all running backs — and according to Next Gen Stats, his top speed during the forty was 23.71 mph, the fastest top speed recorded by a running back at the Combine since De'Von Achane in 2023. That's not just fast, that's a problem for every defense Washington lines up against.
The production at Wake Forest was consistent across two full starting seasons. In 2024, he posted 1,049 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns — a school record. In 2025, he followed with 907 yards and 10 more scores on 5.1 yards per carry, finishing with over 2,200 scrimmage yards and 23 touchdowns across his final two seasons combined. He led Wake Forest in rushing all three of his active seasons. He also returned a kickoff for a touchdown against Miami in 2024, averaged over 25 yards per kick return across his career, and added solid hands out of the backfield.
On film, his best runs aren't the ones where the offensive line opens a clean lane — they're the ones where there isn't one. Claiborne's lateral mobility through traffic is elite for his size, and once he breaks the second level, cornerbacks and safeties have a legitimate speed problem on their hands. The knock is power. He's a one-cut, get-to-space back who gets bottled up when defenders wrap him up cleanly. He's not going to drag anyone for extra yards on contact. But in a Washington offense built around Croskey-Merritt being the between-the-tackles piece, Claiborne as the speed complement is a pairing that would stress defenses in both directions. The comp is Nyheim Hines — a home-run hitter who changes the math every time he touches the ball.
J'Mari Taylor, RB — Virginia | Projected: Round 5-7
Nobody's story in this draft class is better than Taylor's. Zero recruiting stars. Walked on at North Carolina Central. Spent two years rotating in before becoming the starter. Broke out with 1,146 yards and 15 touchdowns at NCCU in 2024, transferred to Virginia, and immediately became UVA's first 1,000-yard rusher since 2018 — ripping off 1,062 rushing yards and 15 more touchdowns in the ACC. He finished with 1,335 total scrimmage yards and earned First Team All-ACC. Lance Zierlein called him a three-down back with compact power and elite balance.
The tape shows a back who runs behind his pads, wins short-yardage situations with regularity, and doesn't go down on first contact. He brought 97 career receptions into the draft with a career average of over 8 yards per catch — he can stay on the field on third down. His 150-yard, three-touchdown game at NC State and a 78-yard touchdown run against Duke are the kinds of plays that get scouts out of their chairs.
He is on the older side for a rookie, will be turning 24 this season. The pass protection technique still needs refinement. His hips can be stiff in space, which limits the elusiveness after contact you want from a three-down back. But for a mid-to-late Day 3 pick, Taylor's grit, production, and versatility offer the floor of a reliable backup and the ceiling of a legitimate committee piece. The comp is Bucky Irving — a vision-and-balance runner who makes the most of every snap he gets and earns the trust of coaches on third down. Washington has plenty of momentum in the backfield. Taylor could be the depth piece that makes it sustainable.