Commanders’ 2026 NFL Draft Grades For Every Pick

The Washington Commanders believe they got the right guy in the first round, and they’re still making efforts to add another player outside of the draft. But how did they do overall in the 2026 NFL Draft? Here are draft grades for every Commanders’ pick.

Selecting No. 7 overall, the Commanders took a significant step toward improving their defense. But as we will see, it was a rollercoaster ride through the draft.

Round 1, Pick 7: LB Sonny Styles, Ohio State

It can be said this was a no-brainer pick for the Commanders, especially with Jeremiyah Love off the board. The Commanders wanted to improve their defensive speed, and they got that from Styles. He ran a 4.46-second 40-yard dash at the Combine.

He’s a rock-solid run defender with excellent range. Also, he’s a pass defender. He breaks well on the ball and adds the frame and length to lock down tight ends. As a bonus, he can cover running backs. It’s win-win-win all over the board for Styles.

He has been compared to Fred Warner, according to ESPN.

“The board fell perfectly for the Commanders, as Styles is a player they’ve been linked to throughout the draft process,” Matt Miller wrote. “Coach Dan Quinn gets his impact middle linebacker in a player who has Fred Warner-like tools. The former safety will get the green dot in Washington, where he’ll be tasked with stopping Eagles’ QB Jalen Hurts and RB Saquon Barkley in the middle of the field at least twice a season.

“Styles has All-Pro potential and will be an immediate starter after fantastic back-to-back seasons at Ohio State in a pro-style defense.”

Grade: A+

Round 3, Pick 71: WR Antonio Williams, Clemson

Remember this name: Chris Brazzell II. He could haunt the Commanders all season long. Washington passed on the big and fast Brazzell for the 5-11, 187-pound Williams, who isn’t a true vertical threat.

It’s a mind-boggling selection for a team that obviously didn’t learn its lesson from picks like Luke McCaffrey, Jaylin Lane, and Jahan Dotson in recent years.

Williams will become an average starter, according to NFL.com. Big wow.

“Williams is a bona fide ball player with good size and an ability to make mischief when he totes the pigskin,” Lance Zierlein wrote. “There is freestyling inside his routes that create uncertainty for corners, but teams might drill down on attention to detail and better efficiency to keep him on schedule.

“He’s not a field-stretcher, but he plays fast from snap to whistle and has the ball skills to bring in challenging catches. He’s more slippery than explosive with outstanding run-after-catch ability. Williams projects as a productive slot receiver with legitimate run/pass/catch talent that should appeal to creative play-callers.”

The only thing that saves the Commanders from an awful grade is that Williams scored 21 career touchdowns in college. Maybe he can be an end zone guy in the NFL, too.

Grade: C-

Round 5, Pick 147: EDGE Joshua Josephs, Tennessee

Up and down the Commanders go. In the fifth round, this is a great pick. There’s real hope for a solid player here, according to ESPN.

“Josephs’ length allows him to keep offensive linemen off his chest and gives him an advantage when working on the edge,” Scouts Inc. wrote. “He will need to continue developing his pass rush arsenal and mix in more moves to become more consistent as a rusher, but he does show deceptive play strength, having the ability to push the pocket and drive offensive tackles backward.

“Josephs plays with active hands, too. He has traits that can translate to the next level and plays with high energy, giving him the potential to develop into a productive player with continued refinement.”

Speed comes into play here, too, according to ESPN.

“He has good closing speed, having run the 40-yard dash in 4.73 seconds, a quality time for a defensive end,” John Keim wrote. “Josephs finished his college career with 9.5 sacks and 22 tackles for loss.”

Plus, the Commanders didn’t whiff on getting an edge rusher in the draft this year.

Grade: A+

Round 6, Pick 187: Kaytron Allen, Penn State

Back to the bad. With home/run threat running back Demond Claiborne still on the board, the Commanders went with the hammer plodder in Allen. Don’t the Commanders already have Rachaad White on the roster? Isn’t one hammer plodder enough?

Congratulations on drafting a player who might make the roster as opposed to a potential starter in Claiborne, according to NFL.com.

“Allen is productive with good size and vision but below-average explosiveness,” Zierlein wrote. “He’s a fluid runner with ideal patience and a natural feel for when to cut off his blocks. He runs low to the ground with the strength to run through arm tackles and fall forward after contact.

“A feel for lane development allows him to fit any run scheme, but his lack of burst is likely to constrict the field and limit his ability to find explosive runs. Allen appears to lack third-down and special-teams value, but he could earn a spot as a solid backup.”

Below-average explosiveness, lack of burst, and lacks special-teams value. What’s not to like?

Grade: D-

Round 6, Pick 209: Matt Gulbin, Penn State

This is a developmental pick, which is all you can hope for on the offensive line at this point.

“It’s possible Gulbin could simply develop into a quality backup along the interior,” Keim wrote. “A big key will be how he’s able to move laterally as a blocker, with Washington likely to run more outside zone.

“Washington needed more depth inside, particularly at center, after releasing Tyler Biadasz. Nick Allegretti remains the front-runner to start, but in Gulbin, the Commanders get someone they can possibly develop for down the road.”

Still, his lack of elite size and short arms make him a long-term question mark even as a backup.

Grade: C

Round 7, No. 223: QB Athan Kaliakmanuis, Rutgers

Admittedly, this late in the draft, there’s not much the Commanders can do. This is the spot where dart throws are the best approach. The 49ers can attest to that with Brock Purdy.

But Kaliakmanis? He was so obscure that Zierlein didn’t even offer a rating for him. What makes it even more confusing is that the Commanders passed on Grant Nussmeier, who was the fourth-highest rated quarterback, according to NFL.com. He was ranked No. 3, according to NFL Draft Buzz.

This seems like a classic case of a team trying to show the rest of the NFL that “we know more than you do.” Just a terrible selection. No matter what the Commanders try to spin, according to ESPN.

“We are where we are with Jayden (Daniels) and with Marcus (Mariota) and Sam (Hartman),” Commanders’ assistant general manager Lance Newmark said. “This guy at this time made sense. We liked a lot about him. We wanted (to) see if (we) could address that position. He made sense on a lot of levels for us.”

Grade: F

So how do all of these grades add up? It’s basically two As, two Fs, and two Cs. That’s a classic C draft.

Overall grade: C