The Washington Commanders entered the 2026 offseason with a pretty obvious need at the wide receiver position, filling a gaping hole that was left by departed veteran Deebo Samuel.
Samuel may not be what he once was with the 49ers, but he still gave the Commanders -- amidst their quarterback injury issues -- 72 receptions for 727 yards and five touchdowns. He also added a rushing touchdown.
Even if He wasn't racking up almost 1,800 yards from scrimmage and playing two positions on offense, he was still an impact player, and the Commanders didn't even get to see the vision with him and Jayden Daniels come to fruition. They might be getting a bit of a mulligan with Clemson wide receiver and third-round pick Antonio Williams, who might not be packaged the same as Samuel, but might be able to be used in similar packages by new offensive coordinator David Blough.
Antonio Williams gives Washington Commanders a dynamic threat to pair with Terry McLaurin
We had Williams going in the 2nd round of a lot of mock drafts in the days leading up to the draft itself, so the Commanders getting him at pick 71 overall feels like a really good value. And while that's easy to say about so many picks in the immediate aftermath of the NFL Draft, Williams genuinely feels like he could give the Commanders similar value now to what Terry McLaurin once did when he was also a third-round pick.
Williams does bring some of the same things to the table that you see from Deebo Samuel. He brings the toughness after the catch you want to see from a guy who primarily plays in the slot, but he can also wear a lot of hats for the offense. He had at least one rushing, receiving, and passing touchdown in each of the past two seasons at Clemson.
So you do get a little bit of that Deebo Samuel flavor when you watch him play.
Antonio Williams to the Washington Commanders. Love this pick. Steady, reliable WR who can get open for a team that desperately needs some of what he provides in their room.
— Matt Harmon (@MattHarmon_BYB) April 25, 2026
He has a path to opportunity right away. pic.twitter.com/dpdS34Sl8k
But there's an important distinction to be made now that Kliff Kingsbury is no longer calling the plays for the Commanders. It's David Blough calling the plays, and some of the notes Matt Harmon makes in his draft analysis of the Williams selection by the Commanders are spot on.
Harmon says that Williams is a "separation-based" receiver, known for his reliability and sure hands. He thinks that Williams is going to be able to come in and immediately give Jayden Daniels some "layups" in the offense.
In that video, Nate Tice also talks about how even just adding Williams to that depth chart on paper, he's probably their best YAC guy for the moment.
The Commanders are running a version of the Ben Johnson offense (we expect) where those layups from the slot are a hallmark. We've seen obviously Amon-Ra St. Brown really excel in that role over the last handful of years, and especially with Williams's sure hands and YAC abilities, he could be one of those players teams kick themselves for passing on in the draft.
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