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Washington Commanders general manager Adam Peters.

The Washington Commanders would serve themselves well by ignoring 1 of the biggest storylines leading up to the 2026 NFL draft — that the stars of this draft class pale in comparison to what will be available in 2027.

The Commanders would be smart to focus on their pick this year — at No. 7 overall — and the plethora of talent that should be available to them at that spot, no matter who gets taken in the 1st 6 picks.

They should also ignore advice from NFL insiders to trade the pick if certain players aren’t available. In no universe can the Commanders not benefit from whoever is available at that spot — a plug-and-play game changer by any metric.

“If neither Caleb Downs nor Jeremiyah Love makes it to No. 7, the Commanders should trade back,” ESPN’s Ben Solak wrote on Thursday. “They’re missing their second- and fourth-round picks as a result of the Laremy Tunsil trade, and they have more needs than their first two picks can address.”

This is simply untrue. It’s also unreasonable. While Downs will likely be available, Love will almost certainly be gone by the No. 7 pick. That leaves any number of players who could make a huge impact for the Commanders.

Landing Right Player at No. 7 Could Save Jobs

Another critical reason the Commanders need to keep the No. 7 pick is that the coaching staff and a good chunk of the roster are playing and coaching for their jobs in 2026. The player they draft in that spot could very well save their jobs.

It’s the result of a disastrous 2nd season for head coach Dan Quinn and general manager Adam Peters in 2025. It was a season in which the Commanders went 5-12 after going 12-5 in 2024 and making it to the NFC Championship Game for the 1st time since 1991.

Thanks to a wheeling and dealing Peters, the Commanders only have 6 picks in the 2026 draft, with 3 of those picks in the 6th and 7th rounds.

Commanders Have Clear-Cut Needs at WR & CB

After a better-than-expected run at free agency in which the Commanders essentially rebuilt their defense, they have 2 positions at which their seem to be clear-cut needs — wide receiver and cornerback.

There’s a real chance the Commanders could have their pick of either position when their pick rolls around. On Friday, the 7-round mock draft from NFL.com’s Chad Reuter had no wide receiver or cornerback taken in the 1st 6 picks.

Reuter predicts the Commanders will take LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane in the 1st round. The hope is he can be a shutdown cover corner the moment he steps on the field — similar to what happened with Philadelphia Eagles NFL All-Pro Quinyon Mitchell in 2024.

“Delane’s speed and ball skills allow Dan Quinn to utilize man coverage on at least one side of the field on a regular basis,” Reuter wrote.

While Delane seems like a clear-cut choice if the Commanders go cornerback, picking a wide receiver could be much more confusing — Ohio State’s Carnell Tate, USC’s Makai Lemon, and Arizona State’s Jordyn Tyson don’t have much separation between them, although Tate and Tyson have both dealt with injury issues in the past.