The Commanders didn’t have many selections available this NFL Draft, but they took all six on time and as scheduled.
Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles was selected on Thursday at No. 7. Clemson receiver Antonio Williams was taken at No. 71 the following day. Every other draft pick came Saturday in the fifth round and beyond, where impact players (as starters or depth pieces) are harder to find.
Considering how few selections Washington had available – second- and fourth-round picks were used in last
year’s Laremy Tunsil trade – the Commanders had to make each one count.
[RELATED: Laremy Tunsil trade results: Commanders’ 2025 swap with Texans finalize at 2026 NFL Draft]
“We want to maximize these picks and get great value for them, especially this year, when we were a little bit down in numbers in terms of pick volume,” Commanders assistant general manager Lance Newmark said in a post-draft press conference. “It was really important that we approached each pick with a very measured, strategic approach in terms of, ‘Hey, we have to get great value here.’ … Every pick, we tried to do that.”
The Commanders believe they did so during the entire 2026 NFL Draft, including on Day 3. Here’s the haul from Saturday’s selections:
No. 147: EDGE Joshua Josephs, Tennessee
No. 187: RB Kaytron Allen, Penn State
No. 209: C Matt Gulbin, Michigan State
No. 233: QB Athan Kaliakmanis, Rutgers
Newmark explained what the Commanders liked about Washington’s final four selections:
EDGE Joshua Josephs, Tennessee
“He has excellent length. You really feel his range with his upper body and his ability to affect the passer and impact the run game with how long and rangy he is with his upper body. He’s a guy that we’re excited about and we think there’s a lot more to come there in terms of development.”
RB Kaytron Allen, Penn State
“He has true move-the-line-of-scrimmage pile push. (He’s) a power player, with a lot of defenders falling backwards as they’re bringing him down. There’s just a lot of power and dirty yards gained that maybe you don’t always appreciate, but they mean a lot. He’s a really good short-yardage player and really a cool kid who has been very productive for a very long time. He’s someone we respect and we appreciate his game, which is a little bit unique to our backfield.“
C Matt Gulbin, Michigan State
“He played center this year for Michigan State after transferring from Wake Forest, where he had played guard. So he has some utility on the inside that he demonstrated in college. We just like the way he plays the game. He’s a physical, find-a-way-to-get-it-done, nasty guy who has grit and toughness to everything he does. He’s a guy we feel plays the game like we want to play it.“
QB Athan Kaliakmanis, Rutgers
“He has a great energy and truly loves the game of football. He saw his career take off late in his career. Statistically, everything popped last year – completion percentage – and he led the Big Ten in passing yards. Touchdown-to-interception ratio, everything improved and is on the upswing with him in terms of production. … (During) the interactions we had with him, he just brought life to any room he’s in.”
