7. Washington Commanders - Caleb Downs, S, Ohio State
The Commanders would surely value someone like Caleb Downs on their defense. Downs is listed as a safety, which could turn some people off from his going this high, but Downs is a defensive back.
He can do it all on the backend of the defense, and while he might not be someone who comes in and makes a ton of splash plays, he can have a lot on his plate and he'll do it well. What we saw in 2025 from the Commanders was a total 180 from their breakout season back in 2024.
Going from 12-5 to 5-12 is a massive regression, and to give the front office credit, they did go out in the offseason and spend a ton of money to shore up key positions. The defense suddenly looks a lot different, for example.
Much of the reason for the regression in 2025 was due to piling injuries, so it's reasonable to think that the team staying just a bit healthier will result in a winning record. But the defense is missing another impact addition on the backend, and they get that in Downs.
8. New Orleans Saints - Mansoor Delane, CB, LSU
The Saints are an underrated team that went out and had a solid free agency, adding Travis Etienne in the backfield and David Edwards at guard. These two moves shore up key positions and allow the Saints to come into the NFL Draft with a wide open range of options.
The secondary could use a boost, and Mansoor Delane would be a perfect fit. Delane can start right away and is the most polished cornerback prospect in the class. He's, frankly, one of the cleanest players in this year's class when you lump together all of the key factors.
This underrated defense gets a bit better with Delane at pick eight.
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