Every NFL draft is different, but there's one trait all 90 of them in the league's history have in common: the event itself is a crap shoot, and the best way to win is accumulating as many picks as possible.

That was the approach the Washington Commanders took in Adam Peters' first offseason as their general manager. They had nine picks in the 2024 draft, including six picks in the top 100. They had about half of that total in 2025, thanks to trades for tackle Laremy Tunsil and receiver Deebo Samuel, and the expectation was that Peters would up that number by trading out of the 29th overall pick and perhaps even the 61st pick in the second round.

That didn't end up happening, and the Commanders ended the weekend with five new players -- tied for the second-lowest total in the league. Peters and his staff went quality over quantity, and they seem happy with what they got this year.

"It might not be huge volume, but really excited about what was available for us at each pick," said Commanders assistant general manager Lance Newmark. "And we stayed true to our board and really stayed disciplined."

Washington's comfort level with its draft class stems partially from the additions they made in free agency. Peters said they liked the group of edge rushers in the draft but also felt comfortable with players like Deatrich Wise and Jacob Martin joining a position that already had Dorance Armstrong and Clelin Ferrell; there was less of a need to get a defensive back because they signed Jonathan Jones and Will Harris; and acquiring Tunsil from the Houston Texans allowed them more flexibility on the offensive line.

So, even though the draft capital was smaller compared to last year, the Commanders felt like they could do whatever they wanted with their picks.

"It's a great feeling going through three days with that mindset and being able to say, 'Hey, best player on the board makes sense,'" Newmark said. "Sometimes it was need or perceived need or whatever, but we were able to do what we felt was right every time without really being forced to do something just positionally."

The Commanders certainly felt like they got the best players available with their first two picks. Peters said both Josh Conerly Jr. and Trey Amos were at the top of their board when they were on the clock, and they were holding their collective breath as they continued to get passed up by other teams.

Both Conerly and Amos provide the Commanders with options they didn't have prior to the draft. Although they're going to let things play out in training camp, they believe Conerly can contribute right away at either guard or tackle. He allows them to move Brandon Coleman, last year's starting left tackle, to also play at either position, which helps cover up the loss of Sam Cosmi until he returns to the lineup.

As for Amos, he provides the Commanders with a cornerback who can win in man coverage and more options with their personnel. Mike Sainristil, who was drafted to be a nickel cornerback but played on the outside as a rookie, can now move back to his original position.

And while the Commanders didn't necessarily need to add a cornerback or offensive lineman with their first two picks, the moves made by the rest of the NFC East helped it make sense for them to strengthen both positions. The Dallas Cowboys improved at wide receiver with the trade for George Pickens; the New York Giants added Abdul Carter to what was already an imposing pass rush; and the Philadelphia Eagles are still among the best in the league at both spots.

"We've tried to create great depth and great competition and trying to put the best 90 players together that we can," Newmark said. "And like I talked about with Adam last week, every player we bring in here, we sincerely have a vision for them and feel like we're putting them in a situation where they can potentially succeed and reach their highest possible heights as a player."

Washington's Day 3 picks -- wide receiver Jaylin Lane, linebacker Kain Medrano and running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt -- likely won't have as important of a role as Conerly or Amos as rookies but could still help improve the roster. Lane could be in line to compete to return punts -- a job he excelled at with MTSU and Virginia Tech. Medrano could also be of value on special teams, as he recorded one of the best Relative Athletic Scores for his position in this year's draft class.

Croskey-Merritt, the Commanders' final pick of the class, played in just one meaningful game last season and will need to compete for a roster spot. However, his 2023 campaign with New Mexico, when he put up some of the best numbers for a FBS running back, hints that he at least has potential to carve out a role. Most analysts projected him to be a fifth-round pick.

"He only had the real limited number of snaps in 2024, but we felt confident with the athlete and with the skillset that he was going to bring to us and we had seen over the course of two or three seasons what he was capable of doing for us."

The Commanders' culture is built on competition, though, so nothing is certain at this point. Each of their draft picks will need to earn a role and prove that the franchise was right to use a pick on them.

And the Commanders could have traded back to acquire more picks; there were offers from other teams at various points in the draft. They chose to stay put, though, because they felt the value was too good to pass on.

It will take time to determine just how good this year's draft class can be, but the front office didn't come out of the draft room feeling as if they missed out on opportunities.

"We came into it with the mindset that we could do that with what we had done in free agency and with what we had done with our roster to get to the mid-seventies numbers wise and not having glaring holes everywhere," Newmark said. "We felt like we could go into this with, 'Hey, this guy is the best player, he makes the most sense.'"