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Commanders.com
Why Washington didn’t draft a DB
[T[he two biggest factors were that they like the players they already have, and the [players] they did take in the draft ended up bringing more overall value to the team.
“When we were picking a player in those rooms, it just didn’t make the most sense as the best decision at that point,” assistant general manager Lance Newmark said at the end of Day 3.
The Tennessee Titans made a surprise move and took wide receiver Carnell Tate at No. 4 overall, which pushed all of the top defensive
players down the board.
Delane was already off the board when the Commanders were on the clock, thanks to the Kansas City Chiefs trading up from No. 9 to No. 6 to get him. That left Downs still available, but so was linebacker Sonny Styles. The Commanders chose the latter, not because they disliked Downs, but because they felt like Styles was the better choice to help raise the defense’s ceiling. Plus, it would provide the unit with one of the class’ most athletic playmakers — a key overall need for the team.
They added Amik Robertson and Ahkello Witherspoon to the cornerback room and Nick Cross to the safeties — all three of which are expected to be heavy contributors during the season. However, the players behind them and the rest of the starters are a mix of career backups and special teamers.
Washington also had a need at wide receiver, and Peters said it was an important goal for the team to pick up a weapon for Jayden Daniels at some point in the draft.
Therefore, it made the most sense to them to take a wideout — Clemson’s Antonio Williams — at No. 71. Yes, it was a need, but his route running and overall polish as a receiver made him the best player available on their board.
Their final four picks included pass-rusher Joshua Josephs, running back Kaytron Allen, center Matt Gulbin and quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis. It’s hard to argue with the logic; three of those were positions of need, and Kaliakmanis is a long-term project that could turn into a backup later in his career.
One of the biggest factors with each of those picks is that the front office liked their chances at making the roster and making an impact.
“I think [with] every pick, you kind of approach it the same, whether it’s the first round or the seventh round, to be honest with you,” Newmark said. “You just always look at…what’s his path to making our team? What’s his path to impacting our team? What are our options? What are we turning down to take this player?”
And while Robertson, Witherspoon and Cross are not the only additions the Commanders will make in the secondary, they do provide the team with some flexibility. They no longer had to reach for a cornerback or safety who might not be the right fit or might not make the roster in the summer.
“It just was a situation where we were picking and what was available, those rooms just didn’t make sense at that time,” Newmark said.
Commanders.com
5 things to know about RB Kaytron Allen
1. Fatman.
Let’s start with one of the first things Commanders fans probably learned about their new running back. He has a nickname — Fatman — that he’s had his entire life, and he wears it with pride.
“That’s my nickname my mom gave me,” Allen said. “I was a fat baby and everybody in the town called me Fatman, and hopefully I keep it going in Washington. They call me Fatman, and when I score, all you hear is Fatman.”
There’s nothing flabby about Allen anymore, but he does play with a big, physical style at nearly six feet tall and 216 pounds. Pro Football Focus’ Jordan Plocher described Allen as having “the low center of gravity” that teams want to put in their backfield. His size helped him endure the workload Penn State put on his shoulders, too, as he carried the ball a combined 792 times in four seasons.
4. A decorated Penn State career.
There has never been a more productive running back in Penn State’s storied history than Allen, who left the program with 4,180 rushing yards on 769 attempts. He is the program’s all-time leading rusher, passing Saquon Barkley and Evan Royster in a 37-10 win over Nebraska to claim the top spot.
But that’s not all that Allen accomplished during his time at Penn State. He also ranked fifth in all-purpose yards, seventh in rushing yards per game and ninth in 100-yard rushing games. He recorded 39 rushing touchdowns in his career, putting him third behind Barkley (43) and his teammate, Nicholas Singleton (45).
So, Allen has plenty to offer to Washington’s backfield, and he’s bringing all of it to his new team.
Commanders Roundtable
IOL Matt Gulbin Adds Intrigue At Center for Washington Commanders
Through five seasons, Gulbin allowed just five sacks and quarterback hits across 1,318 snaps in pass protection. Yet it’s where he did it during his college career after playing three of the five spots with 11 career starts at left guard, 11 at right guard and 12 at center.
Gulbin admitted he feels “comfortable in all three interior positions” while assistant general manager Lance Newmark pointed to Gulbin’s “utility” experience along the offensive line as a plus during the evaluation process.
The question now is how he fits into the depth chart with the obvious need at center. Head coach Dan Quinn pointed to Nick Allegretti, who re-signed this offseason, and practice squad signing Julian Good-Jones as candidates to become the starting center in 2026. Yet Gulbin now joins the Commanders with the strong possibility of entering the mix for the starting center competition through the offseason.
Washington already restocked the offensive line by completing the long awaited extension with Laremy Tunsil along with re-signing left guard Chris Paul to a one year deal, leaving Gulbin as the possible last piece to the 2026 [OL depth chart].
“It’s cool. It’s very humbling but I’m not really focused on that,” Gulbin said about the prospect of becoming the starter in 2026. “I’m focused on getting to work and doing whatever I can to be my best version of my best and do whatever I can to help the Commanders win.”
Heavy.com
Commanders’ K’Lavon Chaisson Blasted for Turning Down $39 Million Offer
On what appeared to be a livestream from inside a car, Chaisson said he turned down an offer from the New Orleans Saints — reportedly for $39 million — to come play for the Commanders on a 1-year, $11 million contract.
“With the Saints, I don’t know what their offense is going to be like,” Chaisson said. “With the Commanders, at least I know we’re going to be in some kind of playoff race.”
Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport heaped praise on the Commanders for signing Chaisson after the former 1st round pick brought his career back to life with the New England Patriots in 2025.
“The Washington Commanders went into the offseason with a clear and glaring need on the edge,” Davenport wrote. “And the team didn’t play around about addressing it … Last year with the New England Patriots, edge-rusher K’Lavon Chaisson finally looked the part of the first-round pick he was back in 2020, logging a career-high 7.5 sacks with the New England Patriots. At 26, Chaisson is only just now entering his prime. Playing opposite Oweh should help minimize double-teams. A 10-sack 2026 is a real possibility. And getting a 10-sack edge-rusher for $11 million on a one-year deal is a steal.”
Chaisson…should form one of the NFL’s most underrated edge combos with Oweh. He was a 1st round pick (No. 20 overall) by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 2020 NFL draft after winning a College Football Playoff national championship in 2019 at LSU.
“K’Lavon Chaisson and Odafe Oweh totaled almost twice as many pressures in 2025 as any other player currently on the Commanders roster,” NextGen Stats wrote on its official X account. “Chaisson also totaled 16 pressures and 3 sacks in four postseason games.”
Heavy.com
Commanders Invite ‘Swiss Army Knife’ QB to Rookie Camp
[T]he Commanders are bringing in 2 former Rutgers quarterbacks to compete for the role with 7th round pick (No. 223 overall) Athan Kaliakmanis, along with Jacksonville State quarterback Gavin Wimsatt, who started his college career at Rutgers.
“Jacksonville State quarterback Gavin Wimsatt, a Swiss Army knife type, works out this week at Titans rookie minicamp, then next week the Commanders,” NFL reporter Aaron Wilson wrote on his official X account on Wednesday. “A Kentucky transfer who began his career as one of the highest-ranked Rutgers recruits, Wimsatt (6-3, 225) is known for his mobility and versatility.”
Wimsatt, 6-foot-3 and 227 pounds, got his chance to be the full-time starter for Rutgers in 2023, but struggled in that role as the Scarlet Knights went 7-6 while he threw for just 1,735 yards, 9 touchdowns, and 8 interceptions. He did show an elite talent for running the ball, rushing for 497 yards and 11 touchdowns, but averaged just 3.8 yards per carry.
Wimsatt Wound Up Playing for 3 Different Colleges
Following his season as the full-time starter for Rutgers, Wimsatt transferred to Kentucky and played in 8 games in 2024, didn’t make any starts, and wound up with 5 total touchdowns — 3 passing and 2 rushing.
Wimsatt transferred 1 more time, this time landing at Jacksonville State for his final college season in 2025. With Jacksonville State, Wimsatt was named the starting quarterback for Week 1, but he only lasted 5 games before he was benched in favor of Caden Creel after a 2-3 start.
Commanders Wire
The linebacker group will look much different for Commanders in 2026
the linebacker group was virtually remodeled by Washington GM Adam Peters.
- Leo Chanel is a good athlete with quickness and strength that he brings to the group. He will be able to cover running backs and tight ends, plus he is physically strong in defending the run game.
- Sonny Styles with his speed and length, it would not surprise to see him used not only to blitz but also drop into coverage in the middle of the field to utilize the range he brings to the defense.
- Over the last few seasons, the Commanders have played two linebackers in their primary look. But now with more size, speed, and length at linebacker, it makes sense they might determine to play three at a time. Seeing it would allow the Commanders to have another good athlete on the field. Don’t be surprised if we see 3 linebacker schemes this season.
- New defensive coordinator Daronte Jones will be installing the new scheme that he brings from the Minnesota Vikings. Jones served under DC Brian Flores, who will be bringing different looks and pressure groupings.
- K’Lavon Chaisson and Odafe Oweh were both signed in free agency to bring more athletic ability and quickness off the edge, rushing the passer. Then last week, the Commanders added another edge to bring the heat to the quarterback when they drafted Joshua Joseph. Joseph, at 6-3, 240, will be someone they want to use in punt and kickoff coverage units. He will also need to adjust from being a defensive end with his hand on the ground to a stand-up outside linebacker.
- Frankie Luvu is really going to enjoy the new scheme. Last season, due to injuries, Luvu was mostly used as a defensive end and was not nearly as effective, having to battle offensive tackles much larger than himself. But 2026 looks to be a year where he can return to linebacker full-time.
- Jordan Magee is a player head coach Dan Quinn talked about numerous times in his first two seasons, who did not get to play much. At 6-3, 225, Magee, in limited action, did display quickness and range. He also displayed good tackling technique.
- Then we can’t forget Kain Medrano and Ale Kaho, who were rookies last season and showed promise on special teams. Finally, third-year former DE Javontae Jean-Baptiste is now listed as an outside linebacker on the roster.
Riggo’s Rag
Lions just gave the Commanders a Sonny Styles-sized wake-up call
This would be a nice problem to have
According to Eric Woodyard of ESPN, the Lions are declining the fifth-year option on Jack Campbell’s rookie deal. This was projected to come in at $21.925 million, which would have made him the league’s highest-paid off-ball linebacker.
In contrast, the Lions picked up the option on elite running back Jahmyr Gibbs, which is costing them just $14.29 million.
Commanders’ plans for the future should include Sonny Styles’ contract
Detroit is reportedly looking to work out a long-term extension with Campbell, who earned Pro Bowl and All-Pro honors last season. If no agreement can be reached, the Lions run the risk of losing him for nothing when free agency hits in 2027, similar to how the Baltimore Ravens’ situation with prolific center Tyler Linderbaum unfolded.
There is a long way to go before the Commanders face this scenario. It would be a nice problem to have, but with the salary cap continuing to soar, there’s a chance Styles’ fifth-year option will be much more than Campbell’s when a decision is due.
The money will take care of itself if expectations are met. Washington has hit on very few first-round picks over the last decade, but the tide is slowly turning with Jayden Daniels, Josh Conerly Jr., and now Styles. Peters will also recognize the importance of rewarding their contributions, even though that won’t be cheap when the time comes.
ESPN
32 Draft Day trades that will always be remembered: one for every team
Washington Commanders
The trade: Washington traded the No. 5 pick to New Orleans in 1999 in exchange for the 12th selection, third-, fourth-, fifth-, sixth- and seventh-round choices in 1999, and first- and third-round picks in 2000.
While the Saints mortgaged their entire draft for running back Ricky Williams, Washington used its extra picks to maneuver and set itself up for 2000 as well. Washington traded back into the top 10, acquiring Chicago’s pick at No. 7 where it drafted future Hall of Fame corner Champ Bailey. Then, thanks to New Orleans having a bad season, Washington got the No. 2 pick in the draft and selected linebacker LaVar Arrington in 2000. — John Keim
Podcasts & videos
#Commanders Film Room: The “Antonio Williams Episode” w/@MarkBullockNFL
NFC East links
Blogging the Boys
Cowboys WR George Pickens officially signs franchise tag
It was reported on Wednesday afternoon that George Pickens has officially signed the franchise tag that the Dallas Cowboys placed on him earlier this offseason. The value of it is just south of $28M for this season.
- Wednesday, April 22nd: Stephen Jones says during the Cowboys’ pre-draft press conference that Pickens will play the 2026 season on the tag and that the team is not going to negotiate with him
- Thursday, April 23rd: It was reported that Cowboys leadership (Jerry Jones and Stephen Jones) reached out to David Mulugheta, who represents Pickens, to extend an olive branch of sorts. This was important/notable given that Mulugheta represents Micah Parsons and all of the, um, issues that those negotiations had last year.
- Later on Thursday: About an hour before the NFL draft started it was reported that Pickens was going to sign his franchise tag. Given that it made no real sense (as far as his leverage is/was concerned) many wondered whether the Cowboys were going to trade Pickens before/during the draft. They obviously did not.
Some might offer that that this could be a precursor to Pickens getting traded now that he is formally under contract. The Cowboys have said that they have no interest in doing this.
Big Blue View
New York signs another defensive tackle
Fotu is the second defensive tackle the Giants agree to a deal with on Wednesday. Earlier in the day, they added 11-year veteran Shelby Harris.
Fotu, 6-foot-5, 317 pounds, is a 27-year-old originally drafted in the fourth round of the 202 NFL Draft by the Arizona Cardinals. Fotu spent four seasons with the Cardinals, and has played for the New York Jets, Las Vegas Raiders, and Houston Texans over the past two seasons.
Fotu has 26 starts in 66 career regular-season games. He is a run defender with just 4,5 career sacks.
NFL league links
Articles
ESPN
NFL distributes crew assignments to referees, sources say
The NFL distributed crew assignments to referees this week amid indications of continued progress toward a deal on a new collective bargaining agreement with the NFL Referees Association, sources told ESPN.
The assignments did not include any of the replacement officials the league has onboarded and vetted in preparation for a potential lockout. The league’s officiating department has planned to start training those replacement officials beginning Friday. The existing CBA between the sides is due to expire May 31.
But even as the sides continue talking, the NFL has managed its contingency planning on a parallel track.
Perry Fewell, the league’s senior vice president of officiating, told teams in a memo before the NFL draft that the league had begun conducting medical examinations and performing vetting on college officials who were willing to step in as NFL replacements if needed. Fewell also wrote that those replacements could begin staffing OTAs and minicamps as early as June 1.
ESPN
Texans, Azeez Al-Shaair agree to 3-year, $54M extension
The Texans continued their offseason spending spree by agreeing to a three-year, $54 million contract extension with Pro Bowl linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair, sources told NFL Network.
Al-Shaair’s deal marks another extension for Houston this offseason. Two weeks ago, the Texans and All-Pro defensive end Will Anderson Jr. agreed to a historic three-year, $150 million extension that made him the highest-paid non-quarterback ever. All-Pro defensive end Danielle Hunter got a one-year, $40 million deal and tight end Dalton Schultz received a one-year, $12.6 million extension. The Texans also gave kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn a two-year, $13 million contract extension.
Al-Shaair had his first Pro Bowl season in 2025 after totaling 103 tackles, two interceptions and nine pass deflections. He has been in Houston for two years after playing with the Tennessee Titans in 2023.
Pro Football Talk
Art Rooney on Aaron Rodgers: I thought we’d know by now, think we’ll know in a few weeks
“We’ve been in contact with Aaron on a regular basis,” Rooney said. “He’s been keeping us up to date on his plans. Even though I thought we’d have concluded by now, I think we will come to a conclusion here in the next few weeks.”
Rooney said the recent decision to apply an unrestricted free agent tender to Rodgers was simply a matter of protecting the Steelers’ ability to get a compensatory pick if Rodgers signs with another team — which the Steelers are not expecting.
“The main thing the tender gives us is the potential for a comp pick if Aaron would choose to go to another team. We don’t expect that, but by the same token you never know. It was just something we had an opportunity to protect if needed,” Rooney said. “Not a real big deal, but just something that if, in the unlikely event he goes somewhere else, we are eligible for a comp pick in that situation.”
The big deal for the Steelers is finding out whether or not Rodgers will be their quarterback this season. That’s something Rooney thinks he’ll know soon.
Discussion topics
Deadspin
Three Teams That Screwed Up 2026 NFL Draft
[W]e have no worldly idea what [some] teams were thinking over the three-day NFL draft completed Saturday in Pittsburgh.
Jacksonville Jaguars
From all splash and sizzle in 2025 to … what-was-that vibes in 2026, maybe this is life with a 30-something general manager. We can’t say Travis Hunter, which cost Jacksonville a 2026 first-round pick in the deal with the Browns on draft night ’25, was a home run. Or even an infield single. And now we can’t say much at all about what the Jaguars did in this draft. The franchise is drafting “culture” and we’re anxious to find out how that computes year over year.
The 49ers-Brandon Aiyuk relationship
The Athletic (paywall)
Brandon Aiyuk remains in limbo. How did we get here, and what comes next?
The Aiyuk-49ers relationship was always a bit strained.
A first-round pick in 2020, he got off to a fast start as a rookie, leading the team that season with 60 catches, 748 receiving yards and five touchdowns. When the 2021 season began, however, it seemed like Aiyuk was in Shanahan’s doghouse. He didn’t start the season opener in Detroit, was outsnapped in the game by journeyman Trent Sherfield and caught only one pass for 6 yards over the first two weeks.
Shanahan insisted he wasn’t punishing the player. But he noted that the COVID-19 pandemic a year earlier made that offseason so disjointed that Aiyuk didn’t get the hard-knocks indoctrination 49ers rookie receivers normally get.
“And then we had so many people get hurt, and he had to play a ton, but that’s all he knew with the NFL,” Shanahan said. “So his experience is, ‘Man, I just kind of showed up, and I started all year, and people say I’m going to be one of the best guys next year.’”
Still, Aiyuk rallied, his starting role returned, and he finished 2021 with 826 receiving yards. That total rose again, to 1,015 yards, in 2022, and the 2023 season was his best to date.
He finished with 1,342 yards while averaging 17.9 yards per catch. He also came up with the biggest catch of the Shanahan era in San Francisco, a diving grab of a deep pass that ricocheted off a Lions defender in the NFC Championship Game. The grab helped propel the 49ers to a second-half comeback and a trip to the Super Bowl.
The Super Bowl, however, didn’t go well for Aiyuk or the 49ers. They lost in overtime to the Kansas City Chiefs, with Aiyuk held to three catches for 49 yards on six targets.
Afterward, he expressed frustration with his usage and then, on locker-room cleanout day, was moved to tears when asked about the season and his future with the 49ers. Aiyuk was heading into the fifth and final year of his contract at the time, a contract negotiation was in the offing, and he sent a message on Instagram: “Don’t forget what got you there.”
That foreshadowed a long “hold-in” during the 2024 training camp, one in which his antics on the sideline became a sideshow to the team’s practices. The contract negotiations dragged on to the point he asked for a trade, but only to specific locations — the Pittsburgh Steelers because he wanted to play for Mike Tomlin and the Commanders because of his connection with Daniels.
The 49ers were on the verge of trading him in August 2024 but ultimately decided just before the regular season to bring him back on a four-year, $120 million contract. He’d missed all of the offseason and training camp practices and got off to a slow start. Then he suffered a multi-ligament knee injury in Week 7 that wiped out the rest of the season and promised to eat into the start of the 2025 season.
Aiyuk seemed to be on the right track as far as his rehabilitation, with Shanahan saying in October the team was weeks away from opening the receiver’s practice window. But around that time, Aiyuk stopped showing up at the facility, then stopped returning phone calls from the team, including from Shanahan.
“It’s something I’ve never seen in 22 years of coaching,” Shanahan later said.
Heavy.com
Commanders Named Fit for 8-Time Pro Bowl Alternative to Brandon Aiyuk
Working out why [Tyreek] Hill still hasn’t found a new home is easy. At least to Schwab, who pointed out “Hill was cut by the Dolphins in mid-February and he’s still a free agent after the draft. Plenty of that has to do with the combination of his age (32) and a bad knee injury that ended his 2025 season. It makes his market a bit tricky.”
Aiyuk remains the most obvious fit for the Commanders, who recently gained some valuable inside information on the wideout. Yet, Schwab cautioned that “Aiyuk has had two lost seasons in a row, first to a torn ACL and then last year when he practically went AWOL from the 49ers. He could be a huge addition but there’s plenty of risk.”
Schwab believes a sense of panic about the lack of marquee playmakers around Daniels is warranted. As Schwab put it, the Commanders adding seven of their eight most prominent and expensive signings in free agency to defense, before selecting just one skill-position player on offense “in the top 186 picks” of the 2026 NFL draft, “isn’t the normal approach to building around a young quarterback.”
Hogs Haven
Commanders should sign Jauan Jennings, other free agents with NFL draft done
Peters was San Francisco’s VP of player personnel when the 49ers took Jauan Jennings in the seventh-round of the 2020 NFL draft. Jennings developed into a productive player with better stats over the past few seasons. He’s a big dude at 6-foot-3 and 212 pounds and can certainly play on the outside, providing a friendly target for Jayden Daniels. If he wants to make this happen, Peters might have to move fast on this one, with reports that Jennings is visiting the Minnesota Vikings on Tuesday and Wednesday.
There are bigger name options available, but Tyreek Hill and Stefon Diggs are both hard passes for me. If Jennings can be had on a shorter-term deal, it might be a good hedge against the Aiyuk situation. And, if they land both Jennings and Aiyuk, the Commanders receiver corps is a lot stronger.
