7. Washington Commanders: Rueben Bain, EDGE, Miami
The Commanders absolutely need pass rush help in this draft, but because this team was so far ahead of schedule in 2024, a lot of the issues were masked in the short term. The team is now seeing the effects of that in terms of roster building, and they need long-term pieces on both sides of the ball at premium positions (OL, EDGE, CB, WR).
Rueben Bain would at least represent a starting point for them in this particular draft. You can’t fix things overnight, but the Commanders are also being rumored as a team looking to do some damage in NFL free agency. And this projection could change rapidly if they go after someone like Trey Hendrickson or Odafe Oweh with top free agent cash. But Bain’s impact and versatility could make him a great pick no matter what.
8. New Orleans Saints: Makai Lemon, WR, USC
The New Orleans Saints feel like they’ve found a potential franchise quarterback in Tyler Shough, so I would expect nothing less than for them to act like it during the 2026 offseason. We’ve seen GM Mickey Loomis be aggressive with less, so with a young quarterback in place, his approach is going to be fascinating.
The Saints could do worse in this spot than Makai Lemon, whose status as the possible WR1 of this class took a bit of a hit at the Scouting Combine. More people were talking about his small hands and funny demeanor at the press podium than they were talking about his on-field impact, but that is the focus here.
Lemon is a fantastic route runner, he’s got strong hands (even if they are small), and he’s someone who wins after the catch.