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A closer look at the Washington Commanders’ roster after the NFL Draft
Edge rusher
- Odafe Oweh
- K’Lavon Chaisson
- Dorance Armstrong
- Charles Omenihu
- Javontae Jean-Baptiste
- Deatrich Wise Jr.
- Drake Jackson
- Joshua Josephs (R)
- Andre Carter II
- T.J. Maguranyanga
- D.J. Johnson
This is where the Commanders have focused much of their attention — and money — during the offseason. They certainly got younger and more athletic, but the group lacks long-term depth, which means they’ll be re-signing or re-doing this room in a year. Oweh was the big-ticket signing, with a four-year,
$96 million contract. But he and Josephs, the fifth-round rookie out of Tennessee, are really the only two with long-term deals. Jean-Baptiste, a 2024 seventh-rounder, has two years left on his rookie deal, but he’s coming off a pectoral muscle injury. Chaisson, Omenihu, Wise and Jackson are all on one-year deals, and Armstrong, who suffered an ACL injury last season, has only one season left on his contract.
Wide receiver
- Terry McLaurin
- Dyami Brown
- Luke McCaffrey
- Jaylin Lane
- Treylon Burks
- Antonio Williams (R)
- Van Jefferson
- Ja’Corey Brooks
- Jacoby Jones
- Nick Nash
- Chris Hilton Jr. (UDFA)
- Jaden Bradley (UDFA)
There are a lot of names here, but still a massive void. The Commanders lacked depth at wideout last season and it cost them dearly as they dealt with a slew of injuries. They also lacked a consistent complement to No. 1 option McLaurin, a so-called “No. 2 receiver” who can pose a threat to defenses and carry a starter’s workload. Brown wasn’t it during his previous four seasons in Washington. McCaffrey and Lane have, so far, been best as returners and slot receivers. Perhaps Burks can step up after impressing late last season, but the 2022 first-round pick has only eight games of experience in Washington and a roller-coaster career previously.
Williams, the team’s third-round pick, brings plenty of intrigue, but also plenty of questions. The Commanders believe he has the versatility to play inside and outside, even though he spent much of his college career at Clemson in the slot — where Washington already has a number of players who are roughly his size. That certainly doesn’t mean he can’t become that second threat Washington sorely needs, but until he shows it, the Commanders may have to add more veteran help, either from the pool of unsigned free agents — or from San Francisco. You know what I’m getting at.
Bullock’s Film Room (subscription)
What WR Antonio Williams Brings to the Washington Commanders
At 5’11½”, 187 pounds, Williams is a slightly undersized receiver that likely projects to the slot in the NFL. He did play mostly in the slot but also saw some time outside at Clemson. So what exactly are the Commanders getting in Williams? The first thing that stands out is his route running ability.
I don’t think he’s elite in that area but nobody is coming out of college. But what makes Williams a good receiver is his understanding of the nuances when it comes to being a quarterback friendly target. Williams understands that each play is its own entity and while a route might be drawn up one way on paper, on the field there are other factors at play that might require a different action.
Commanders.com
5 things to know about WR Antonio Williams
2. He wins against single coverage.
The run on defensive players in the second round gave the Commanders a bevy of receivers to choose from at No. 71, and they felt Williams was the best of the bunch. Why? Because his route running is some of the most advanced in his class, and it helps him win his matchups.
Williams’ nuances as a route runner, which general manager Adam Peters said players don’t normally learn until they get to the NFL, helped him get separation against bigger, more physical cornerbacks, particularly in man coverage. He ranked in the 88th percentile against single man coverage heading into the 2025 season, and that continued in his final season with the Tigers. He caught 70.4% of his targets against man coverage with zero drops.
Fans might have been expecting the Commanders to go after a bigger wide receiver in the draft, and there’s a chance they can still pursue one in the coming months. However, they were more concerned with finding a receiver in the draft who could win matchups and weren’t as concerned with how that happened. The way they saw it, Williams fit that description and was the best available.
4. He can play on the outside.
Williams was mostly used as a slot receiver last year, which is why some Commanders fans were confused by the pick. They already have multiple players with experience in the slot on the roster, so it raised questions about the team’s personnel.
But Peters said Williams can be used on the outside as well, and there is a decent sample size of him playing well at that spot.
“That’s really the thing that differentiated him from a lot of guys is winning outside and winning against really good players outside, especially in 2024,” Peters said.
While Williams only had 27 snaps as an outside receiver in 2025, he was used more often at the spot in 2024 with 317 snaps. It also happened to be his best season, hitting career highs in multiple categories. While he was still best between the numbers, he put up respectable grades on the outside, particularly on plays of 20-plus yards. He graded out with a 90.9 when lined up as an outside receiver on the right of the formation and an 87.6 on the left. He put up similar numbers in 2025, earning a 93.9 on the outside right and 80.7 on the outside left.
So, while it is true that Williams had his most success as a slot receiver, the Commanders believe there is more potential as a perimeter threat for them to tap into.
Bullock’s Film Room
Can Antonio Williams play the St. Brown role for David Blough?
This article is free to read in its entirety
We don’t know exactly what new offensive coordinator David Blough is going to run, but reports suggest that it will closely resemble the 2023 Detroit Lions offense run by Ben Johnson, which Blough was on the roster for. So in that offense, what role could Williams fit into?
Commanders general manager Adam Peters spoke after drafting Williams and said they feel he can play both outside and inside, or as he put it, both “the Z and the F”. The Z is the term for the outside receiver that lines up off the line of scrimmage while the F is a common term used for the slot receiver. The receiver that played this role in Detroit back in 2023 was Amon-Ra St. Brown. He was extremely productive in that role, catching 119 passes for 1515 yards and 10 touchdowns in that 2023 season. He actually got a four year, $120 million contract extension off the back of that season.
Now, that’s a high bar for Williams to meet and it’s not fair to expect him to be St. Brown right away. But when you watch how St. Brown went about his game in that 2023 Lions offense and then watch Williams, you can see some similarities.
In the games I watched, I didn’t get to see Williams run too many choice routes, though in 2024 he did run a few from the backfield in some interesting looks. But even in 2025, he showed the traits that suggests he could be a very good choice route runner.
Williams will need to learn exactly how David Blough wants the choice route to be run and Jayden Daniels will need to get some reps at those two because Washington hasn’t used those types of routes a lot since Daniels was drafted, but the skill set is clearly there for Williams to excel on those types of routes in this offense. But St. Brown didn’t just run 50 choice routes each game for the Lions. I mentioned earlier that the Lions had two other very effective choice route runners in Laporta and Gibbs, so St. Brown had to be able to do other things.
I have no doubt David Blough will be installing this concept [from the Detroit/Ben Johnson offense] into Washington’s offense this offseason. But from Antonio Williams point of view, his role in that concept would be the stick-return route, where he has to break one way and then pivot back in the other direction. Again, the Clemson offense didn’t ask him to do a ton of that, but when they did, he showed good signs of being able to do it.
If Williams can prove he can run choice routes and these pivot/return routes effectively, then the Commanders have a potentially very productive receiver on their hands. Those types of routes are very commonly used in the type of offense we’re expecting David Blough to run. But they’re not the only routes Williams would have to run, though the skills needed on those routes translates a lot to the other routes St. Brown ran with the Lions in 2023.
We saw how much Daniels trusted Ertz in those spots and they scored a lot of touchdowns on those types of routes. Ertz isn’t likely to be back with the team this year barring a late training camp injury, so the Commanders will need someone to replace him in those spots. Williams could potentially be that guy.
The beauty of this role, if Williams can handle it, is that it syncs so well with the rest of the offense. Hopefully you can see from these concepts just how St. Brown could win his routes and get open, but how he could also be used within concepts to help others too. When St. Brown started to get a little too much attention, the Lions had some other concepts ready to go to.
ESPN
Biggest 2026 NFL post-draft questions for all 32 teams
Have the Commanders done enough around Jayden Daniels?
Washington drafted receiver Antonio Williams in the third round. Williams mostly played in the slot at Clemson, but he showed the ability to win outside. The Commanders needed another playmaker and explosiveness alongside No. 1 receiver Terry McLaurin.
They could also eventually sign Brandon Aiyuk — though it remains uncertain when the 49ers will release him. And the Commanders did strengthen their defense, which will prevent the offense from needing to post big numbers every game. All of that will help Daniels, but until Williams proves himself, there will be questions. — John Keim
Heavy.com
New Commanders’ RB makes bold MVP comparison that will excite fans
Among the new Commanders’ rookies is running back Kaytron Allen. The Penn State prospect was selected in the sixth round of the draft at pick number 187 overall.
Allen had a highly productive collegiate career as a Nittany Lion, racking up nearly 5,000 total yards and 43 total touchdowns while also becoming their all-time leading rusher in four seasons. He is expected to share the backfield with second-year stud Jacory Croskey-Merritt and newly acquired free agent Rachaad White.
Earlier in the offseason, Allen made a bold claim on NBC Sports when revealing who he compares his game to. “Right now, I’d say I got a little Bijan Robinson to me,” Allen stated. In the past, I’d say Adrian Peterson or Le’Veon Bell.”
The Athletic’s Scott Dochterman believes Allen will contribute immediately, stating, “I can’t believe Allen lasted this long. I usually don’t go on a limb and predict a sixth-rounder will start games as a rookie, but if Allen is healthy, he’s going to start for Washington. He is physical, powerful and durable.”
Commanders general manager Adam Peters seems to share Dochterman’s sentiment, as beyond the literal selection, he proclaimed in their draft call, “we got a steal man,” to which Allen couldn’t help but agree.
Blough intends to put Jayden Daniels more under center.
This approach is more in line with a pro-style offense, opposed to the RPO game, which leads more towards a collegiate style. It will allow Jayden Daniels to read a defense more directly and create broader disguises within their scheme. Snapping the ball from under center also allows a running back to rush straight downhill instead of from an offset position.
Riggo’s Rag
Commanders now have a genuine kicking competition on their hands
Obviously, the Commanders weren’t satisfied enough by veteran Jake Moody’s production last season to warrant a free run into the starting role once again. He performed relatively well, aside from a couple of wayward showings, but the heat is now firmly on despite getting a new one-year deal in free agency.
Now that competition has arrived, it’ll be interesting to see who gets the upper hand.
Moody has the experience, which gives him an early edge. Stevens hasn’t just come to make up the numbers, and he’s got the leg to change the conversation.
Stevens is a four-time All-Big Ten kicker. He’s nailed eight field goals of more than 50 yards in the last two years. He’s come up huge in critical moments, and he was beloved by his teammates during his time with the Hawkeyes.
It’s a fine margin situation. The Commanders saw enough in Stevens to make sure he didn’t sign for another club. They are giving him a shot, but what comes next is down to the player.
But make no mistake: Moody will not give up his spot without a fight.
The San Francisco 49ers should never have drafted him in the third round. That placed bigger and unfair expectations on his shoulders that weren’t quite met. There’s just no telling where his career might go if he’s beaten out by an undrafted rookie, so the former Ohio State standout cannot put a foot wrong when on-field preparations for the new campaign gather pace.
This is a fascinating dynamic to watch over the summer. It’s been a while since the Commanders had long-term stability at the kicking spot. If Stevens manages to get the better of Moody, they might just have it.
Commanders Roundtable
Three Key Questions for Washington Commanders Post 2026 NFL Draft
Is the CB room a weakness?
Washington entered the draft with some speculation about whether a cornerback would become the first pick as former LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane was viewed as realistic ahead of his expected top ten selection. Yet that didn’t materialize after the Kansas City Chiefs opted to trade up three spots to take the DMV native. The only question mark? Washington elected against drafting either a cornerback or safety across the six picks, instead signing a pair of defensive backs including a converted receiver as undrafted free agents.
Assistant general manager Lance Newmark noted on day three that the Commanders “feel good about those rooms,” yet the front office did its homework on multiple prospects like Keionte Scott and Daylen Everette in addition to Delane.
Head coach Dan Quinn previously noted that Amik Robertson, the first free agent signing of the offseason, will likely start opposite of Mike Sainristil to start out with veteran Ahkello Witherspoon likely rounding out depth. Of course, Trey Amos is expected to be a big part of the 2026 solution at cornerback as he recovers from a broken fibula that limited him to ten games as a rookie.
Nick Cross serves as a key upgrade to the safety room where he likely takes over as strong safety, yet he serves as the lone addition this offseason with both Will Harris and Quan Martin looking to thrive in new coordinator Daronte Jones’ scheme.
Yet for a defense that proved to be one of the worst against the pass in 2025, did Washington do enough? It appears the plan has materialized into improving the front seven to alleviate pressure on the secondary, but it’s a bold call with the defensive backs arguably one of the three biggest questions this offseason.
NFL.com
Eric Edholm’s NFL Post-Draft Power Rankings
24 – Washington Commanders
The Commanders entered the draft with just six picks (two in the top 100) to try to check a lot of boxes. They were looking to butter both sides of the bread — getting more help for Jayden Daniels while attempting to add more firepower on defense — and they did fairly well with what they had, I suppose. Hyper-athletic LB Sonny Styles felt like a strong pick and should start immediately. I am not anti-Antonio Williams, but I do wonder whether he’s the type of receiver Washington needed most. On the positive side, I felt like both edge Joshua Josephs and RB Kaytron Allen were strong picks where the Commanders got them. On the whole, this class only moved the needle so much, and Daniels’ re-emergence holds the key to a bounce-back season.
The Athletic (paywall)
Josh Kendall’s NFL Post-Draft Power Rankings
26. Washington Commanders
Last ranking: 27
Best rookie season: Sonny Styles, LB, Ohio State
The seventh overall pick is going to excel in Daronte Jones’ defense, where he’ll start right out of the gate. The 6-5, 244-pound former safety will do a little bit of everything for the Commanders and should fill up the stat sheet.
Podcasts & videos
What’s It’s Really Like Being a Top Prospect at the 2026 NFL Draft feat. Commanders’ Sonny Styles
London Talks Sonny Styles & ESPN’s Tom Luginbill on Washington’s Draft Class | Get Loud | Commanders
NFC East links
Bleeding Green Nation
Jeff Stoutland gives blunt assessment of Eagles’ 2025 struggles
Stoutland also talked about the tush push and how it took a step back last season. The former OL coach said he was offended by the cutesy names people were giving a quarterback sneak because it minimized the skill of the play, and said that if people want to call it something, they should call it what it is: Organized mass. As for why it wasn’t as successful in 2025, he points to the change at the center of the play.
“If you take a player out of there that’s been doing it for awhile, and now it’s not organized mass, it’s just mass, then you got a problem and you’re not making it.”
Jason didn’t dig much after the comment and instead shifted gears to another segment in the show, appearing as though he didn’t want to throw anyone (Cam Jurgens) under the bus.
Stoutland said that he isn’t sure exactly what’s in his future, but he’ll be taking a year off — he started to say that he can’t do much right now (because he’s still under contract with the Eagles), but didn’t appear to want to go down that road. Instead he talked about spending time with his family, and being fully present without a million things to think about, but also noted he’s fired up and still passionate about coaching offensive lineman.
ESPN
Eagles pick up 5th-year options for Jalen Carter, Nolan Smith
The Eagles exercised the fifth-year options for defensive tackle Jalen Carter and edge rusher Nolan Smith Jr. on Monday.
Carter’s option for the 2027 season has a value of around $27 million, and Smith’s comes in at just under $14 million. The options are fully guaranteed.
This was the expected move, as the former Georgia teammates have made their respective marks with the Eagles since being selected in the first round of the 2023 NFL draft at ninth (Carter) and 30th overall.
Blogging the Boys
In a record-breaking draft for tight ends, the Cowboys waited
Record number of tight ends taken
Since the start of the seven-round draft in 1994, the record for most tight ends drafted in one year was 19 in 2015. The 2026 class had 21 tight ends drafted.
In round three, tight ends Sam Roush, Oscar Delp, and Will Kacmarek were all drafted before the Cowboys landed another defender that helps the depth chart at more than one position with Jaishawn Barham. There were also eight wide receivers drafted between picks 65 and Barham at 92, another position we know the Cowboys are making a big bet on what they already have in place, mainly George Pickens and CeeDee Lamb.
North Dakota State wide receiver Bryce Lance went to the Saints at pick 136, one pick ahead of where the Cowboys landed LT Overton, the hand-in-the-ground defensive end they needed, as well as depth behind Kenny Clark and Quinnen Williams at defensive tackle in their new base 3-4 front. The value the Cowboys got in their defensive picks by not having to press for needs on offense was off the charts.
Jake Ferguson’s targets skyrocketed from 86 in 14 games in 2024 to 102 in a full season in 2025. His yards per game stayed exactly the same though at 35.3, and he ended the season with four straight games of three or fewer catches. After catching six touchdowns in the first seven weeks of the year, Ferguson had just two in the remaining ten games of the season.
Whether or not Ferguson could be a reliable, consistent big-play threat in Schotty’s offense was a topic of much discussion all last offseason. The eye test from a regular season showed over the course of the season that Ferguson was still missing that consistency and big-play pop. By not finding a way to get in on the tight end draft party this year, it is going to be yet another spring and summer season where all of the exact same questions will be asked about Ferguson from now until kickoff in September.
Not missing the party entirely
Following the conclusion of the draft, the Cowboys wasted no time as always starting to build their undrafted free agent class. Very quickly, their desire to get in on remaining tight end talent was apparent. The team signed DJ Rogers from TCU early in the process, and the fact his signing details were made public quickly as well is a strong indicator this is a priority UDFA for the Cowboys.
Big Blue View
First player signed during John Harbaugh era already released
The New York Giants released veteran defensive tackle DeMarvin Leal over the weekend, a small bit of news that went unnoticed with the 2026 NFL Draft having been in progress.
Leal played 32 games over four seasons for the Pittsburgh Steelers before being released in January and quickly signing a reserve/futures contract with the Giants.
Leal will some day be an answer to the trivia question “who was the first free agent signed by the Giants during the John Harbaugh era?” He will not, however, actually get a chance to go to training camp and compete for a job with the team.
ESPN
Hall of Fame LB Lawrence Taylor in hospital with stomach issue
Hall of Fame linebacker Lawrence Taylor has been hospitalized for a stomach-related issue that a representative of his said does not appear to be life-threatening.
In a statement released Monday, attorney Mark Eiglarsh said the longtime New York Giant authorized him to let the public know that the 67-year-old has been in the hospital for a week with no discharge date determined. Eiglarsh said Taylor remains under medical observation and is showing signs of improvement.
“Lawrence asks that I convey his sincere gratitude to everyone who has been thinking of him and keeping him in their prayers during this challenging time,” Eiglarsh said.
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ESPN
Ty Simpson: Had secret meeting with Rams’ McVay before draft
The Rams wanted to keep their interest in Ty Simpson close to the vest before the NFL draft, so the Alabama quarterback kept his meeting with coach Sean McVay “private,” he said Monday in an interview with Ian Fitzsimmons on ESPN Radio’s “Amber & Ian.”
The Rams drafted Simpson, Matthew Stafford’s likely successor, with the 13th pick Thursday night.
“We tried to keep this under wraps as long as we could,” Simpson said in Monday’s interview. “It was something to where I knew they were interested, but they wanted to make it private and didn’t want people to know that they were interested.
“So, I had some secret meetings with Coach McVay, and I just was trying to be on script and do what everybody told me and not to tell anybody.”
Simpson said Monday, he and McVay had one meeting before the draft and “talked for hours and hours.”
“And it was just football,” Simpson said. “It was just straight football. And it was like a kid in a candy store. Me and him are sitting there, and we’re just going back and forth. You can tell the obsession he has for the game, and you can tell the love he has for quarterback play.
“It’s something that I appreciate, and it’s something that I enjoy because I really enjoy playing the position and value the position. So, being with him and then getting to know him and then just seeing a little bit of how I would get coached if I was fortunate enough to go there was something that I couldn’t have asked for a better situation.”
Front Office Sports
NFL Draft Viewership Slips 3% Despite Faster First Round
The NFL Draft’s first round last Thursday was optimized for television with a tighter format that produced real results, but the viewership still failed to match last year’s.
ESPN said the draft’s first round averaged 13.2 million viewers across multiple linear and digital platforms, including ESPN, ABC, NFL Network, the ESPN app, and YouTube, among others. That figure is down 3% from the comparable figure from the 2025 draft.
The event’s viewership peak remains the 15.5 million who tuned in for the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft—held in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic and when fans were particularly starved for sports content. The 2026 figure now ranks third behind the marks from 2020 and last year.
This year’s first round of the draft featured a more streamlined structure in which teams were limited to 8 minutes between first-round picks, down from the prior 10 minutes. That led to a meaningful reduction of more than half an hour compared to the length of last year’s first round, and a crisper pace throughout the evening.
Viewership for the full three-day draft will be released later this week. Even with the first-round decline from last year, though, the first-round viewership provided another signal of how large the league’s offseason showcase has become, as it still will be one of the most-watched sports broadcasts for the seven-month period between Super Bowl LX and the start of the 2026 regular season.
Front Office Sports
NFL Schedule Release Expected Mid-May, With More Changes
The NFL Draft is done, and the next big event on the league’s calendar is the schedule release—something that will look a little different this year
Based on prior practice and upcoming broadcast network events, the full release will likely happen on Wed., May 13.
- There will very likely be several new wrinkles in the schedule this year, including a potential game on Thanksgiving Eve. Efforts such as this would seek to advance the league’s goals to turn more of the 272 regular-season games into standalone showcases, as well as increasingly leverage holiday periods that frequently drive banner viewership for the NFL.
- There already have been notable shifts confirmed, including the move of the season-opening game involving the Super Bowl-champion Seahawks to Wed., Sept. 9 to help accommodate a game in Australia the following day between the 49ers and Rams.
The results of the draft, led by No. 1 pick Fernando Mendoza to the Raiders, will be one of many factors used to help develop the schedule.
