Several top 2026 NFL Draft prospects talk about their impressions of the Washington Commanders during their recent top-30 visit
In a matter of hours, fans will get to officially turn the page from mock drafts and projections with the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft set to unfold as general manager Adam Peters and the front office pull the trigger on the seventh overall pick. While speculation emerged earlier this month that a trade could materialize, that talk has died down in the weeks since with multiple options available for the Commanders.
While all the talk has shifted back on former Ohio State wide receiver Carnell Tate, several prospects who the Washington Commanders hosted on top-30 visits spoke glowingly of the front office and organization, starting with running back Jeremiyah Love.
“Their facility is small but everything you need is within reach so I like their facility,” he told reporters on Wednesday. “Their coaching staff is very great. It was more of a family type fit there. They took us to Top Golf the first night we got there, got to learn how to golf - I’m terrible at golf…Washington is great.”
All the talk has been about the possible pairing of Love behind quarterback Jayden Daniels adding a sense of ‘what if’ around a balanced yet potentially explosive offensive under first year coordinator David Blough. Love noted the potential in Washington after adding the two would be a “very good duo.”
“I’d be blessed to go there, that’s all I’ve got to say. I feel like me and Jayden Daniels would be a very good duo. He’s obviously Jayden Daniels and I would help him be a better version of himself, taking some load off of him. Washington is great"
Linebacker Sonny Styles is another who joins Tate as a frequent projection for Washington if defense ends up being the pick with reporting earlier in the week that Peters would love to add a “future Fred Warner” to the Commanders defense. Like Love, whether Styles ends up blossoming into a top five pick like many have projected him to be may be the biggest question mark, though he sees the perks of the Commanders organization after meeting with the front office.
“Biggest thing that stands out when you walk in the building is just great energy, great people so I enjoyed my time there,” Styles said. “Everyone is obsessed with getting to the highest point in the league, but like I said, I think the most important thing is good people in the building. It stands out no matter who you’re talking to.”
Miami (FL) defensive lineman Rueben Bain Jr. hasn’t been mocked to Washington as much as other defensive prospects, though he was also among the prospects in attendance for the Top-30 visits where he pointed to the pedigree of head coach Dan Quinn.
“He’s also a defensive-like minded coach, somebody that’s real aggressive and style of coaching. He’s a worker. I got to see that first hand when I went up there last week. Really had a good time with him. Spoke some good football and we just had a good conversation overall. We talked for like an hour.”
Tate, meanwhile, touched on what a potential landing spot in DC would mean for the Commanders offense.
"I just bring another weapon alongside Terry [McLaurin]. The more weapons you have, the more points you have. The more points you score, the more wins you got," Tate said on Wednesday.