Washington Commanders 2026 NFL Draft Needs, Picks & Depth Chart

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No matter how well they did in free agency, all 32 NFL teams head into the 2026 NFL Draft with holes to fill on the roster.

Leading into the draft, we will identify the top needs for every team and break down the depth chart position by position.

What are the Commanders' top positions of need heading into the 2026 NFL draft?

Washington Commanders Needs: Top Positions of Need in 2026

1. Defensive Back
2. Wide Receiver
3. Offensive Line

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Washington Commanders 2026 Draft Capital

The Commanders have the 24th-most draft capital according to our Sharp Football Draft Value.

Our Sharp Football Draft Value is a valuation of draft capital based on a combination of average performance delivered and average dollars earned on second contracts.

Washington Commanders Mock Draft Predictions

Find out who our top-rated experts expect the Commanders to draft:

• Brendan Donahue's 2026 NFL Mock Draft – Complete first round breakdown from the #2 most accurate mock drafter over the last five seasons.
• Ryan McCrystal's 2026 NFL Mock Draft – Complete first round breakdown from the #20 most accurate mock drafter over the last five seasons.

Washington Commanders Offense: Depth Chart, Analysis & Draft Needs

Rich Hribar breaks down the offensive depth chart by position for the Washington Commanders, identifying areas where the team could improve in the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft.

Quarterback

1. Jayden Daniels
2. Marcus Mariota
3. Sam Hartman

Washington passers combined to finish 27th in the league in rating (85.5), completing 61.2% of their passes (26th) with a 4.1% touchdown rate (23rd), a 2.6% interception rate (22nd), and taking a sack on 7.3% of their dropbacks (18th).

The positives were ranking 12th in yards per pass attempt (7.1) and eighth in yards per completion (11.6 yards).

The second season for Jayden Daniels was all but a lost one.

Daniels played 38.4% of the offensive snaps.

He appeared in seven games but finished only four.

Daniels suffered a knee sprain in Week 2, a hamstring injury in Week 7, and then a dislocated elbow in Week 9.

Daniels did not require any offseason surgeries, so he will look to pick up the pieces in his third season under new offensive coordinator David Blough.

Coming from time under Ben Johnson, Blough has stated he will bring a more balanced offensive approach that will feature more packages with Daniels playing under center in 2026.

Since Daniels entered the NFL, he has been in shotgun for a league-high 92.9% of his dropbacks.

Through two NFL seasons (one and change, really), Daniels has only 33 dropbacks from under center.

That has led Daniels to use below-league-average rates of pre-snap motion (45.6%, 24th) and play action (24.8%, 18th).

When NFL passers have been under center over the past two years, they have used pre-snap motion on 66.8% of dropbacks with an 85.3% play-action rate.

Johnson’s teams in Detroit and Chicago over those seasons had a 65.8% motion rate and an 88% play-action rate when they were under center.

Behind Daniels, Washington retained Marcus Mariota on a one-year deal to serve as the primary backup to Daniels.

Mariota appeared in 11 games and made 8 starts in 2025.

Washington went 2-6 in those starts, with Mariota completing 61.2% of his passes for 7.5 Y/A, throwing 10 touchdowns and 7 interceptions in his appearances.

Washington has exclusive free agent rights to Sam Hartman after this season.

Running Back

1. Rachaad White
2. Jacory Croskey-Merritt
3. Jerome Ford
4. Jeremy McNichols

Washington was able to piece together solid backfield production in 2025 despite no running back on the team reaching 200 touches.

Their running backs combined for:

• 4.5 yards per rush (11th)
• 42.6% success rate (4th)
• 11.3% rate of runs for 10 or more yards (8th)
• 3.53 yards after contact per rush (4th)

That was while averaging only 1.02 yards before contact per rush, which was 27th in the league.

Jacory Croskey-Merritt led the backfield in touches (184), yards from scrimmage (873), and touchdowns (8) as a seventh-round rookie.

Croskey-Merritt averaged 4.6 YPC (16th of 49 running backs with 100 or more runs last season) with a 40.6% success rate (18th) and a run of 10 or more yards on 12% of his attempts (10th).

While his rookie season was successful when paired with a team environment and draft investment, Croskey-Merritt lost work to Chris Rodriguez over the back half of the year due to ball-protection and pass-protection issues.

He fumbled 4 times and only caught 9 passes all season.

He ran a route on only 24.6% of the team dropbacks in his games played while allowing a 15.4% pressure rate on his small sample size of pass protection (39 snaps).

Through 10 weeks, Croskey-Merritt accounted for 53.3% of the backfield touches, but then dropped to 40.6% the rest of the way out.

With Rodriguez leaving in free agency this offseason, paired with Austin Ekeler’s contract coming to an end, Washington signed Rachaad White and Jerome Ford to one-year deals this offseason, while giving Jeremy McNichols a one-year contract as well.

After back-to-back seasons hitting 1,000 total yards in 2023 and 2024, White totaled 172 touches for 790 yards with 4 touchdowns for Tampa Bay in 2025.

White’s efficiency as a rusher has declined, and that cost him rushing volume the past two seasons to Bucky Irving and Sean Tucker.

Out of 63 running backs with 250 or more attempts since White entered the league, he ranks 54th in yards per rush (4.0 YPC), 54th in success rate (35.4%), and 52nd in yards after contact per rush (2.75).

He remains an effective pass catcher and in protection, which fits alongside Croskey-Merritt.

White was 12th in pass blocking grade among running backs in 2025, per Pro Football Focus, and he has at least 40 receptions in each of the past four seasons.

Ford and McNichols are the next guys in line of the nesting doll here for what Washington added in White.

Ford’s touches have dropped in each of the past two seasons, only handling the ball 50 times last year in Cleveland for 176 yards.

McNichols served as the primary receiving-down back for Washington last season after losing Ekeler.

McNichols only ran the ball 44 times, but he led the backfield in routes (178), targets (31), and receptions (25) after the team lost Ekeler.

The additions Washington has made this offseason allow them flexibility in this draft.

It is rare for me ever to label running back as a “need,” but we know Washington is still in the mix to upgrade on talent and contractual depth, which is why they are still being linked to Jeremiyah Love with their first pick (and Blough comes from a team that used high draft capital on Jahmyr Gibbs with effective results).

Even if they do pass on Love at No. 7 overall (or he is just unavailable at that point), this is a team that could add another body to their backfield.

That said, they do not have many picks and have holes to fill elsewhere on the roster.

Given what this backfield was able to produce last season, surrounding the team environment and limited investment, they could kick the can and look to upgrade at a more identifiable “need.”

Wide Receiver

1. Terry McLaurin
2. Dyami Brown
3. Treylon Burks
4. Luke McCaffrey
5. Van Jefferson
6. Jaylin Lane
7. Ja’Corey Brooks
8. Jacoby Jones
9. Nick Nash

On par with the first two positional groups we have covered, Washington was also battered at wide receiver in 2025.

Deebo Samuel was the only wide receiver on the roster to run a route on half of the dropbacks, and he was only at 77.5%.

Samuel led the team in targets (99), receptions (72), receiving yards (727), and receiving touchdowns (5).

He is still on the open market as a free agent.

Terry McLaurin never got on track last year.

Missing nearly the entire summer due to a holdout, McLaurin only played in 10 games, appearing on 41.1% of the offensive snaps and running a route on 46.5% of the dropbacks.

When he did play, McLaurin remained an effective player amid the chaos of this offense.

McLaurin posted 2.22 yards per route run, which was 14th among all receivers to run 100 routes in 2025.

McLaurin accounted for 30.9% of the team's targets and 45.7% of the air yards when he was on the field.

One of Blough’s early quotes this offseason was, “How do we get Terry 10 targets a game?”

McLaurin will turn 31 at the start of the new season, carrying cap hits of $34 million and $39.5 million in 2027 and 2028, respectively, that Washington can potentially get out of if needed ($18 million and $12 million dead money those seasons).

Even if accounting for McLaurin remaining an effective player over the rest of his current deal, after him is a guessing game.

Jaylin Lane is the only other receiver on the roster signed beyond this season.

Lane was fourth on the team with 225 receiving yards on only 16 catches as a rookie.

He was only on the field for 36.2% of the dropbacks as a rookie, which was a lower rate than Treylon Burks (42.6%) and Chris Moore (41%).

Tight End

1. Chigoziem Okonkwo
2. John Bates
3. Ben Sinnott
4. Colson Yankoff
5. Lawrence Cager

Washington’s most aggressive signing on offense this offseason was inking Chigoziem Okonkwo to a three-year deal worth up to $27 million.

Okonkwo caught 50 or more passes in each of the past three seasons in Tennessee, but never found his footing as a complete player.

His best trait so far over his rookie contract was creating 1,107 yards after the catch, which ranks 12th among tight ends since he entered the league.

In 2025, Okonkwo was 10th in that department (342 yards after the catch).

We can excuse his lack of downfield production and his dependency on yardage after the catch, given the quarterback play in the NFL to this point.

Still, the largest roadblock for Okonkwo has been playing time, since he is more of a power slot receiver than an actual tight end.

Okonkwo never reached a 70% route rate over his rookie contract.

He was on the field for 64.6% of dropbacks in 2025, ranking TE17 on the season.

That is because he ranked last among 87 qualifying tight ends in run-blocking grade in 2025, per Pro Football Focus.

He was last among 83 qualifying tight ends in 2024.

John Bates and Ben Sinnott are unrestricted free agents after this season, while Colson Yankoff is a restricted free agent after 2026.

Offensive Line

LT: Laremy Tunsil, Brandon Coleman
LG: Chris Paul, Timothy McKay, Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu
C: Nick Allegretti, Julian Good-Jones
RG: Sam Cosmi, Andrew Wylie, Tyler Cooper
RT: Josh Conerly, Trent Scott, Foster Sarell

Washington ended 2025 ranking 18th in ESPN’s pass block win rate (63%) and 21st in run block win rate (70%).

For better or worse, the core components of this offensive line are in place.

Laremy Tunsil, Sam Cosmi, Josh Conerly, and Nick Allegretti are all projected starters and are under contract for multiple seasons.

Chris Paul is the only projected 2026 starter who is not signed beyond this season.

Paul appeared in all 17 games, making 15 starts.

He had issues in the run game, ranking 82nd out of 85 qualifying guards in run-blocking grade per PFF in 2025, but Paul allowed only a 3.2% pressure rate in pass protection, the 10th-best mark at his position.

Tunsil remains the anchor here.

He only allowed a 3.1% pressure rate (6th among tackles in 2025) and 2 sacks.

Cosmi had another strong year at right guard, but he only played in nine games.

Washington released center Tyler Biadasz this season, pushing Allegretti into the projected starting lineup.

Allegretti started four games last year, playing 100 snaps at center and 159 snaps at right guard.

His deal was a lower-scale one, essentially a one-year deal for $7.6 million, giving Washington flexibility to upgrade at long-term center and left guard in this draft.

The team selected Conerly in the first round (29th overall) last season, and he took his lumps as a rookie.

Conerly at least got experience, playing every snap of the season at right tackle.

He allowed a 6.9% pressure rate (64th among tackles) and 8 sacks (tied for 6th most).

Washington Commanders Defense: Depth Chart, Analysis & Draft Needs

Raymond Summerlin breaks down the defensive depth chart by position for the Washington Commanders, identifying areas where the team could improve in the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft.

Defensive Line

1. Daron Payne
2. Javon Kinlaw
3. Jer’Zhan Newton
4. Tim Settle
5. D.J. Davidson
6. Shy Tuttle
7. Ricky Barber

The Commanders had a bottom-tier run defense in 2025.

Against running back carries, they finished 25th in yards per rush allowed, 26th in explosive play rate allowed, 25th in negative run forced rate, and 25th in yards before contact allowed per rush.

The top three snap takers along the defensive line are back (Daron Payne, Javon Kinlaw, and Jer’Zhan Newton), and Washington added Tim Settle and D.J. Davidson in free agency.

Both Kinlaw and Payne ranked outside the top 30 in run stuff rate among qualified defensive linemen, and Newton fared worse.

Newton did at least add something as a pass rusher, recording 5 sacks and a solid 12.6% pressure rate.

Neither Kinlaw nor Payne was able to match that level of production in the passing game.

Considering the money invested in Payne and Kinlaw (they represent two of Washington’s top four cap hits for 2026) and the second-round pick paid for Newton, the Commanders are not getting bang for the buck along the defensive line.

That does not make this a position of need, but they do need better play out of that trio at the top of the depth chart.

Edge Defenders

1. Odafe Oweh
2. K’Lavon Chaisson
3. Dorance Armstrong
4. Charles Omenihu
5. Deatrich Wise
6. Javontae Jean-Baptiste
7. Drake Jackson
8. T.J. Maguranyanga
9. D.J. Johnson
10. Andre Carter

The Commanders finished 12th in the league with 42 sacks last season, but they were just 20th in pressure rate (35.6%).

Washington rebuilt their pass rushing group in free agency, signing Odafe Oweh, K’Lavon Chaisson, and Charles Omenihu.

Oweh was the big-money addition, getting $96 million over four years.

Oweh was traded to the Chargers midway through last season, and he produced for his new team, logging 7.5 sacks and a 15.9% pressure rate over 12 games.

He might have been a bit overpaid in the free agent market, but Oweh should be a good cornerstone for this group.

Chaisson is coming off a good season in New England, where he posted a 14.5% pressure rate and 7.5 sacks.

He now has 12.5 sacks over the last two seasons after a slow start to his career in Jacksonville.

Washington will also get back Dorance Armstrong, who missed most of last season with a knee injury.

Armstrong has 10.5 sacks and a 14.3% pressure rate in 23 games with the Commanders.

The Commanders could certainly add to this group – a team can never have enough edge rushers – but they have done a good job bolstering the pass rush this offseason.

Washington's need at this position is probably overstated in the pre-draft discussion.

Linebacker

1. Frankie Luvu
2. Leo Chenal
3. Jordan Magee
4. Nick Bellore
5. Kain Medrano
6. Ale Kaho

The Commanders have not closed the door on re-signing Bobby Wagner, but as it stands, the veteran is not on the roster.

They did bring in Leo Chenal, who could be ready for a bigger role after playing as a rotational option during his time with the Chiefs.

Chenal has allowed a nice 6.9 per target thus far in his career.

The versatile Frankie Luvu is back, but he is not coming off his best season.

He made fewer plays in the backfield in the running game in 2025, and he had his worst season as a pass rusher since 2021, logging an 11.7% pressure rate and 3 sacks.

2024 fifth-round pick Jordan Magee was the third linebacker last year, getting his first extended run on defense in the NFL.

This group would look more solid with Wagner back in the fold – he was still sixth among qualified linebackers in tackle rate on run plays – but he can’t do it forever.

Adding a young linebacker in the draft makes a lot of sense.

Cornerback

1. Trey Amos
2. Mike Sainristil
3. Amik Robertson
4. Ahkello Witherspoon
5. Darius Rush
6. Tyler Owens
7. Tre Hawkins
8. Car’lin Vigers
9. Qwuantrezz Knight

Washington’s pass defense struggled in 2025, allowing 8.1 yards per attempt (30th), a 6.1% touchdown rate (29th), and a 9.1% explosive play rate (24th).

Marshon Lattimore’s ill-fated run with the Commanders is over, but the corner group does bring back recent second-round draft picks in Trey Amos and Mike Sainristil.

Amos struggled in his rookie season, finishing 74th among qualified corners in yards allowed per coverage snap.

Quarterbacks had a 104.6 rating when throwing into his coverage.

Sainristil was worse, finishing 124th in yards allowed per coverage snap and giving up 9 touchdowns in coverage.

He has allowed 15 touchdowns in coverage over his first two seasons in the league.

Washington did make a couple of additions in free agency, signing Amik Robertson and Ahkello Witherspoon.

Robertson had his own issues last season with the Lions, giving up 8 touchdowns and 9.1 yards per target.

Witherspoon has struggled to stay on the field throughout his career, and he is coming off a down year with the Rams in the six games he played.

Despite some big draft investments at corner over the past several seasons, this still looks like a primary need heading into the draft.

Safety

1. Nick Cross
2. Quan Martin
3. Will Harris
4. Jeremy Reaves
5. Robert McDaniel
6. Percy Butler

The top three snap takers at safety from last season are back (Quan Martin, Jeremy Reaves, and Will Harris), and the Commanders added Nick Cross in free agency.

Cross could end up being a great addition and is coming off a quality season with the Colts.

He finished third among qualified defensive backs in run stuffs last season, 12th in stuff rate, and ninth in tackle rate on running plays.

Cross and Martin theoretically make for a good pairing, though Martin is coming off a down season in which he allowed an astounding 154.5 quarterback rating in his coverage.

Reaves did play well when thrust into a bigger role on defense last season, though he has been more of a factor on special teams.

Will Harris missed a large chunk of last season because of a broken leg.

He returned to the starting lineup after coming off injured reserve, but Cross could push him to the bench.

Washington has enough here, but an upgrade next to Cross would make some sense.

2026 Depth Chart Analysis & Team Needs for All 32 NFL Teams