The Washington Commanders have to be considered the sleeping giants of the NFL heading into the 2026 season. Injuries derailed their 2025 campaign, but it's easy to forget that this team made it all the way to the NFC Championship Game in the 2024 season, and they've just had a monster free agency period.
The Commanders fortified their pass rush by signing both Odafe Oweh and K'Lavon Chaisson, two former first-round picks coming off of the best seasons of their career. They also stole Leo Chenal and Charles Omenihu from the Kansas City Chiefs, adding another couple of big-time athletes to the defensive front.
Getting Nick Cross and Amik Robertson for the secondary fills even more gaps for this Commanders defense, and the addition of Chig Okonkwo gives Jayden Daniels a new safety valve at the tight end position to replace Zach Ertz. So where do the Commanders go from here? How can they attack the 2026 NFL Draft and get back on top of the NFC East?
Commanders need to target Jeremiyah Love with their top pick in the 2026 NFL Draft
Round 1 | 7th overall: Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame
For the majority of the 2026 offseason, we've been projecting the Commanders to go after a defensive lineman or pass rusher. And they could absolutely still do that, but we also know that this offense is missing some explosiveness in the playmaking department.
Terry McLaurin can't do it all himself, and while the Commanders have some nice pieces at the running back position, they need another "easy button" for Jayden Daniels to hand the ball off to or dump it off to in the passing game. Jeremiyah Love can be that easy button.
Keep in mind that Commanders GM Adam Peters saw firsthand the way a running back can drastically impact an offense and make life easier for the QB when the 49ers traded for Christian McCaffrey. The Commanders are one of the few teams equipped to use a top-10 pick on a running back, and Love could be the missing piece for them.
Round 3 | 71st overall: Daylen Everette, CB, Georgia
This is a strong overall class of cornerback prospects, but the Commanders only have two picks on the first two days of the NFL Draft. If they go after Jeremiyah Love in the 1st round, or even a receiver prospect, they're going to have to have an expansive list of guys they like at cornerback on Day 2 and Day 3.
Daylen Everette is an elite athletic specimen with size, speed, and explosiveness. He's been a good tackler in his time at Georgia (108 total tackles over the past two seasons) and has outstanding ball skills (10 PBU in 2025, 4 INTs over the last two years).
The Commanders need some more fresh blood at the outside cornerback position, and Everette could be an ideal fit for them at pick 71 overall.
Round 5 | 147th overall: Josh Cameron, WR, Baylor
Deebo Samuel is still sitting in NFL Free Agency, and up to this point, the Commanders haven't made any moves to upgrade the wide receiver position substantially. Not that a 5th-round pick is upgrading it substantially, but there might be some prospects worth taking a shot on with a Day 3 selection that could yield some instant results.
Josh Cameron is a fun playmaker with size at nearly 6-foot-2, 220 pounds. He racked up 19 total touchdowns at Baylor over the past couple of seasons and does a great job snatching the ball at the catch point. His stock could keep on rising based on traits, but if the Commanders can get him at any point, he'd be a fun addition to their receiver room.
Round 6 | 187th overall: Charles Demmings, CB, Stephen F. Austin
Round 6 | 209th overall: Mikail Kamara, EDGE, Indiana
Round 7 | 223rd overall: Enrique Cruz Jr., OT, Kansas
The Commanders close out this mock draft by snagging some developmental prospects and a couple of guys who can contribute immediately on special teams in Charles Demmings and Mikail Kamara.
Demmings is a fun fit for the Commanders because we know Dan Quinn really loves to add corners with size and length on the outside, and he combines exactly that along with top-tier athletic traits.