The 2026 NFL draft starts Thursday, April 23rd at 8pm, and will be broadcast live from Pittsburgh, PA. Teams have been scouting these players for years, and the pre-draft process will gain national attention at the post-season college all-star games and ramps up again at Pro Days and the NFL Combine. Teams will have access to prospects for formal and informal interviews at these events, but as the draft approaches, they are also able to host 30 players for formal visits. They can also hold workouts
and local prospect pro days to get more information on players they have interest in, or players they want teams to think they have interest in.
GM Adam Peters and head coach Dan Quinn have a lot of work to do after a 5-12 season that was a massive dropoff from their first season in Washington. The Commanders had the oldest roster in the league last season, and injecting youth and speed into the lineup will be a priority according to Peters. Injuries were a major issue, knocking starters like Jayden Daniels, Terry McLaurin, and Dorance Armstrong out for large portions of the season. With 30+ free agents, this team will look a lot different by the time the draft rolls around.
The Washington Commanders have the No. 7 overall pick, but only hold two picks within the top 100. They now have six picks total in this year’s draft, missing 2nd- and 4th-round picks for LT Laremy Tunsil. They got a sixth-round pick back from trading RB Brian Robinson to the 49ers. Adam Peters indicated that the team will listen to trade down offers to gain more picks in this year’s draft.
Below is a list of the draft prospects that Washington has met with, and will be updated with private workouts and local pro day players.
Washington Commanders 2026 NFL Draft Picks
Round 1 – #7
Round 3 – #71
Round 5 – #146
Round 6 – #186 (via SF)
Round 6 – #197
Round 7 – #223
Top 30 visit
Private workouts
Local pro day
Offense
Quarterbacks
Wide Receivers
Jalil Farooq, WR, Maryland (Hula Bowl)
Tight Ends
Louis Hansen, TE, Connecticut (Hula Bowl)
Dan Villari, TE, Syracuse (Hula Bowl)
Running Backs
Desmond Reid, RB/KR/PR, Pittsburgh (Hula Bowl)
LeShon Williams, RB, Kansas (Hula Bowl)
Offensive Line
Fintan Brose, OC/OG, Delaware (Hula Bowl)
Tommy Dunn, OT, Kansas (Hula Bowl)
Sam Hagen, OT, South Dakota (Hula Bowl)
Rasheed Miller, OT/OG, Louisville (Hula Bowl)
Melvin Priestly, OG, Illinois (Hula Bowl)
Defense
Cornerbacks
Aaron Harris, CB, North Carolina A&T (AFCA FCS Showcase)
Jalen Jones, CB, William & Mary (AFCA FCS Showcase)
Devon Marshall, CB, N.C. State (Hula Bowl)
Jaden Rios, CB, Texas State (Hula Bowl)
Safeties
Linebackers
Shad Banks, LB, Texas-San Antonio (Hula Bowl)
Jackson Kuwatch, LB, Miami (OH) (Hula Bowl)
Dasan McCullough, LB, Nebraska (Hula Bowl)
Defensive Line
Malachi Cooper, DE/Edge, Univ. of San Diego (AFCA FCS Showcase)
Michael Heldman, DE/Edge, Central Michigan (Hula Bowl)
Special Teams
Sources
Top 30 visit
Private workouts
Pro Days attended
College Football Games Attended by Commanders Scouts
January 1, 2026
Oregon vs Texas Tech
December 6, 2025
Ohio State vs Indiana
November 29, 2025
Ohio State vs Michigan
Georgia vs Georgia Tech
Virginia Tech vs Virginia
November 1, 2025
Indiana vs Maryland
Arizona State at Iowa State
October 29, 2025
Arizona State Practice
October 18, 2025
LSU vs Vanderbilt
Texas vs Kentucky
Texas Tech vs Arizona State
Utah vs BYU
October 11, 2025
Northwestern vs Penn State
Nebraska vs Maryland
Texas vs Oklahoma
Indiana vs Oregon
October 4, 2025
Pitt vs Boston College
Penn State vs UCLA (5 reps incl. Adam Peters)
September 27, 2025
Oregon vs Penn State
September 26, 2025
Florida State vs Virginia
September 20, 2025
South Carolina vs Missouri
Texas Tech vs Utah
September 13, 2025
N.C. State vs Wake Forest
Clemson vs Georgia Tech
Richmond vs UNC
Notre Dame vs Texas A&M
September 6, 2025
North Carolina vs UNC
Michigan vs Oklahoma
August 31, 2025
Notre Dame vs Miami
August 30, 2025
LSU vs Clemson
Marshall vs Georgia
Texas vs Ohio State
August 15, 2025
Arizona Practice
August 8, 2025
Vanderbilt Practice
