After making the NFC Divisional Round two years ago with a then-rookie Jayden Daniels providing hope as a franchise quarterback, the Washington Commanders were supposed to make another run at the playoffs last season. Instead, they went 5-12 in 2025 as the stud signal-caller missed most of the campaign due to injury alongside Terry McLaurin and numerous other key pieces.

To make up for the miserable year, Washington now gets the No. 7 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. There are plenty of options with that selection, but without their own second and fourth-rounders, could the Commanders instead elect to trade back? With numerous ways to handle the biggest day of the offseason, the door is wide option to a multitude of solutions.

Here are the details you need to know about the Commanders’ draft capital before they’re on the clock this Thursday, plus a prediction and pick for the first round.

Washington Commanders 2026 NFL Draft picks

• Round 1 — 7th overall
• Round 3 — 71st overall
• Round 5 — 147th overall
• Round 6 — 187th overall
• Round 6 — 209th overall
• Round 7 — 223rd overall

Washington Commanders team needs

There are only a couple of positions with clear-cut starters on this Washington roster. Obviously, Jayden Daniels will hope for a healthier year in his third NFL season, while Terry McLaurin remains the top wideout and Laremy Tunsil continues to start at left tackle. Beyond those names though, things look more uncertain on offense. The Commanders signed tight end Chig Okonkwo and halfback Rachaad White, but neither are the caliber of talent that’s too talented to replace. The wide receiver corps beyond McLaurin comprises journeymen and reclamation products. The offensive line still has plenty of issues.

The front office did attempt to address some of the defensive issues with the signings of Odafe Oweh and K’Lavon Chaisson in the front seven, joining Javon Kinlaw, Daron Payne and Frankie Luvu. There’s still a notable lack of high-end star power here though, and the secondary seems to struggle every year. The Marshon Lattimore trade two seasons ago can be deemed an utter failure, especially after he tore an ACL and was later cut back in March. Trey Amos isn’t a No. 1 cornerback, and while Nick Cross was a decent signing, there are a ton of gaps to patch in the back end.

With an aging roster and more questions than answers, what will Washington do on draft night?

The smartest option is probably to trade back from No. 7 to add some assets to the war chest. Again, there are a ton of holes in this roster on both sides of the ball, but the Commanders lack a stockpile of draft picks. That rings especially true in the early rounds, with only one selection in the top 50 and two in the top 100. Diversifying their inventory of draft picks would provide more bites at the apple and additional depth this franchise desperately needs.

Now, will the front office do that? Time will tell. Assuming they stay put at No. 7 instead, the Commanders have the luxury of going best player available to try and fill those gaps.

If looking to bolster the defense, the ideal situation sees Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles drop just enough to fall into Washington’s grasp. That may be unlikely though, in which case fellow Buckeye Caleb Downs would provide a fantastic consolation price for a secondary in desperate need of a versatile safety who can drop into coverage or lay hits on a ballcarrier.

There’s a world in which the Commanders prefer offense — as shortsighted as that may be — and add whichever wideout is still on the board between Ohio State product Carnell Tate and Arizona State talent Jordyn Tyson. Pairing one of them next to McLaurin would provide some much-needed firepower and a younger, cheaper option in the event of a looming re-tool shipping the veteran receiver out. Of course, there are also still whispers that the front office may try to snag Notre Dame halfback Jeremiyah Love, perhaps the best player in this draft. The backfield isn’t a need, but an RPO game deploying he and Daniels would certainly give defenses fits.

In all likelihood, defense is the bigger need and one of the two Ohio State guys should drop. I expect either Styles or Downs to be a Commander by the time the first round is over on Thursday.

Prediction: Commanders select one of Sonny Styles or Caleb Downs at No. 7