Commanders WR Luke McCaffrey

The Washington Commanders, under general manager Adam Peters, usually prioritized athletic ability over everything else. One particular aspect, the RAS, became the definitive metric that the team used to select players. However, in the 2026 NFL Draft, Peters went in another direction. 106.7 The Fan host Grant Paulsen highlighted the shift.

“But over the last two years, the Commanders ranked number one in the NFL in drafting athletes in that RAS, relative athletic score, one in each of the last two seasons in terms of the average player and how they graded out athletically. This year, they ranked 29th out of 32 teams in that RAS metric.”

The Relative Athletic Score is a single number that takes all of the following into consideration: height, weight, hand size, and arm length. Then, those numbers are paired with the 40-yard dash, 10- and 20-yard splits, bench press, vertical jump, broad jump, short shuttle, and three-cone drill. In essence, the RAS marries the numbers, physical and tested ones.

As mentioned, Washington appeared to rely solely on those. Now, it appears that the draft told a completely different story. The host saw the change as a rapid change in theory.

“Now, drafting an RAS monster doesn’t mean you get to have a good football player. And there are certain positions where they track
Frankly, being the best athlete isn’t even ideal, maybe.”

New #Commnders EDGE Joshua Josephs is a STEAL at #147 pic.twitter.com/rqEtrZxxwH

— brandon (@JayDanielsMVP) April 25, 2026

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Testing Doesn’t Always Translate to On-Field Success

One of the Commanders’ most glaring errors in draft judgment occurred in 2024, as the host discusses.

“You think about Luke McCaffrey in this way where you go, ‘Wait a second, a lot of people are telling you that’s a fourth or fifth round pick. You guys just grabbed him at 100. You don’t really care because you’re just following your board.”

Washington selected the former Rice standout with the No. 100 selection of the 2024 NFL Draft. In 26 career games, McCaffrey started four with 29 catches and three touchdowns. Sticking to the RAS didn’t help. Moreover, with players like Dyami Brown who fill the same role, McCaffrey may not be a lock to make the team this season. Now, they chose rookies that possess film to back up up expectations.

Kaytron Allen steal for Washington 👀 pic.twitter.com/n1L9cHUc2h

— SleeperCFB (@SleeperCFB) April 25, 2026

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The Anomaly that Required Drafting

Granted, the franchise chose another route overall. However, the team did pick Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles. Styles tested extremely well. However, the testing serves as a backdrop for his skill set. Peters, who helped the San Francisco 49ers draft Fred Warner, envisions a sideline-to-sideline linebacker with 100-plus tackle ability in Styles. While the team wanted to move faster, production and film appear to be the main impetuses behind the selection.

GettyCommanders LB Sonny Styles

Will This New Approach Help?

For every Jer’Zhan Newton, there is a Luke McCaffrey in the RAS realm. Peters seems to realize that if he cannot find a way to blend raw data and tape, a 5-12 season may not be his biggest worry. While modern critics lambasted the devotion to film over timed tests, being able to execute a high level matters more. People tend to forget that a doughy, seemingly unathletic sixth-round pick out of Michigan became the greatest quarterback of all time.

It wasn’t a surprise that the Washington Commanders drafted a WR.

Who they drafted, Clemson WR Antonio Williams, got Commanders fans talking.

I spoke with ESPN’s @john_keim about the addition of Williams.

JK said, “he’s not McCaffrey or Jaylin Lane. Williams is just better.” pic.twitter.com/lXMkyKVYKl

— Scott Abraham (@Scott7news) April 27, 2026

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