The Washington Commanders will have the chance to take one of the top players in the NFL Draft with the No. 7 overall pick, and naturally, most of the attention is focused on evaluating which prospect makes the most sense -- and can make the most impact -- for them to take in April.
But it's important to remember that whoever the Commanders take with their first-round pick makes up only a portion of their draft class. It takes more than one impact player to strengthen a roster, and Commanders analyst Logan Paulsen believes the best way for the team to "win" the draft is to make sure it puts just as much emphasis on the players taken on Days 2 and 3.
"That is 1,000% true," Paulsen said on this week's "Drive to the Draft" podcast. "You just get more picks there. You got a third-, fourth-, fifth-, sixth-, seventh-round pick. That's [five] guys right there that are gonna provide some role for your team."
Like most teams in the NFL, the Commanders have emphasized building and strengthening their roster through the draft under general manager Adam Peters. Not only does that mean picking players like Jayden Daniels -- the 2024 Offensive Rookie of the Year -- and offensive tackle Josh Conerly, but it also means the Commanders must make sure the rest of the players in their class must make meaningful contributions.
The Commanders, who have drafted 14 players so far under Peters, have found multiple players who fit that mold. Jer'Zhan Newton -- taken No. 36 overall in 2024 -- is a key part of the defensive line rotation. Luke McCaffrey, who was taken with the final pick of the third round later that year, emerged as a reliable kickoff returner with promise as a slot receiver. Washington's 2025 draft class, though nearly half as large, included players like cornerback Trey Amos, Jaylin Lane and Jacory Croskey-Merritt who were either starters or key contributors last season.
"Maybe it's the special teams linebacker who comes in for certain packages on second down," Paulsen said. "I think that's the thing that differentiates those rounds. That's where you get depth; you get developmental pieces."
Paulsen points out that teams like the Philadelphia Eagles, who have won the NFC East for the last two seasons, are exceptional at finding ways to "nail their third-, fourth- and fifth-round picks. For example, Tyler Steen, who was taken in the third round of the 2023 draft, was the team's starting right guard last season. Will Shipley -- taken in the fourth round of the 2024 draft -- was Saquon Barkley's primary backup and had 777 kickoff return yards in 2025.
While the players projected in the top two rounds will garner the most attention, Paulsen believes the Commanders must do everything to make sure they pick the right players in each round of the draft. It's why evaluating players at events like the Shrine Bowl, which don't normally include the top prospects, is important. Those prospects have "a couple of warts," as Paulsen put it, but they can add value.
"They can be a good football player in the right context," Paulsen said.
