The Washington Commanders are coming off a disappointing season where age and injuries caught up with them. After making the NFC Championship Game the year prior, Washington went into the 2026 NFL Draft needing to prioritize getting younger and faster across their entire roster. Here’s how the draft shook out for them.
Sonny Styles, Linebacker, Ohio State
Dan Quinn’s defenses have always done their best with speed at the linebacker position. Bobby Wagner and Deion Jones held down the middle of his best defenses over the years and he went
into this class wanting to find that caliber of player.
Easier said than done, but there’s plenty of reason for Washington to be optimistic about Sonny Styles. Styles has ridiculous athleticism that could change the entire Commanders defense. He is still a bit raw, but the upside with this pick was obvious. Quinn wants speed and physicality more than anything else on defense and that’s what he’s getting in Styles.
Antonio Williams, Wide Receiver, Clemson
Washington has their top receiver in Terry McLaurin and there’s little reason to believe he won’t be a factor once again next year. But helping Jayden Daniels in Year 3 means acquiring more weapons for him in the passing game.
Antonio Williams is a “B+ at everything, A+ at nothing” type receiver. And that’s not a slight. He’s a smart, physical, reliable receiver who runs good routes, has good hands, and does a good job after the catch. He won’t take over games week to week, but he will be a really good #2 or 3 receiver in the Washington offense pretty quickly.
Joshua Josephs, Edge, Tennessee
This is another speed-forward defensive draft pick for Washington. Joshua Josephs is a high upside player and exactly the type of defensive prospect Dan Quinn loves to develop.
Kaytron Allen, Running Back, Penn State
This was my favorite pick for Washington. Kaytron Allen is a consistent, bruising back who has enough juice to break off some big runs every few carries. I felt he was underrated in college and clearly underrated in this draft process.
The Commanders already have a good lead back in Jacory Croskey-Merritt, but now they have a really good complementary player in Allen.
Matt Gulbin, Center, Michigan State
Washington makes a late round investment in protecting Jayden Daniels. Considering how vulnerable he’s been to injury, I thought Washington would draft offensive line earlier.
Gulbin played a ton of football at the college level and there’s a lot to like about his game from a demeanor standpoint. He has starter upside but will have an uphill climb.
Athan Kaliakmanis, Quarterback, Rutgers
There were many quarterbacks in this class who warranted a late round gamble and Kaliakmanis was one of them.
He’s a guy who got better every year of college despite never playing on talented teams. He has a good build, a strong arm, and a willingness to hang in a muddy pocket. He has intriguing upside to be a solid NFL backup.
