The opinions expressed in this article do not reflect those of the team. The players listed are not based on inside information and should not be interpreted as such. The list is based on the "Mock Draft Monday" series, which has been running on Commanders.com for the last three months.
The Washington Commanders have the chance to grab one of the best impact players in the 2026 NFL Draft with the seventh overall pick, and we're days away from finally seeing who that will be.
The Commanders have been connected to several of the top players in this year's class in recent mock drafts, from running back Jeremiyah Love to wide receiver Carnell Tate and linebacker Sonny Styles. That obviously won't have any effect on who general manager Adam Peters ultimately chooses on Thursday, but it is a good indicator of how unpredictable this year's class could be in the first round.
The Commanders will have one of the smallest classes this year, which means they'll need to get the most possible value out of every selection. The good news is that the work they did in free agency to address multiple positions of need, such as pass rusher, tight end and running back, puts them in position to take the best players available.
Over the past few days, we've been examining players in the later rounds who could improve Washington's roster. But we're wrapping things up by looking at the first round, where the Commanders have one of the most interesting picks in the top 10.
Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame: The unanimous All-American and Doak Walker Award winner was one of the most potent weapons in college football last year. He rushed for 1,372 yards last season with 18 rushing touchdowns -- tied for third-most among FBS players and a school record -- with 27 receptions for 280 yards and three receiving scores. He can shed tackles, find holes in the defense and make defenders miss if the situation calls for it. He shows patience when following his blockers and violently bursts through lanes with an acceleration that leaves would-be tacklers trailing behind him.
Carnell Tate, WR, Ohio State: One of the painfully obvious issues that the Commanders had last year was the lack of explosive playmakers on offense, particularly when Terry McLaurin, who missed half the season, was not on the field. Tate would help alleviate some of that pain point; he posted a 99.9 grade on passes of at least 20 yards, posting a 76.9% catch rate and six touchdowns. He also caught six of seven contested targets on such throws with zero drops.
Arvell Reese, EDGE, Ohio State: Ohio State moved Reese around like a chess piece, and he excelled at nearly every spot. When he was lined up near the line of scrimmage, he showed quick instincts and a rare ability to run downhill to track down ball carriers. As a pass-rusher, he used his strength to bully offensive linemen and harass quarterbacks. Ohio State even used him as a quarterback spy at times because of his speed. As Mel Kiper Jr. wrote later in his evaluation, Reese showed "natural instincts at the linebacker position that allow him to make plays most guys just can't make."
Sonny Styles, LB, Ohio State: In terms of raw stats, Styles was more impactful in 2024 (100 tackles and six sacks to go with a forced fumble) compared to last season's 83 tackles with one sack and an interception, but you would be hard-pressed to find a linebacker who impacted each level of the defense as much as him. He earned grades of at least 87 from Pro Football Focus in run defense, tackling (he had an FBS-best 92.2) and coverage. PFF also notes that he is the only defensive player with at least 50 tackles to have a miss rate of zero.
Mansoor Delane, CB, LSU: He dominated his competition with 13 passes defended, 11 pass breakups and two interceptions. He ranked second in the conference in passes defended and received unanimous All-American and First Team All-SEC honors. It didn't take long for opposing quarterbacks to get the message: don't throw in Delane's direction. He allowed just 13 receptions for 147 yards and six first downs on 358 pass coverage snaps, according to the team's website. Pro Football Focus notes that he allowed an NFL passer rating of 31.3 when targeted, which ranked second among cornerbacks with at least 350 coverage snaps.
Rueben Bain Jr., EDGE, Miami: Anyone interested in Bain as a prospect will have to settle for him not fitting the traditional frame for an NFL pass rusher. Along with his arm length, he's 6-foot-2 and 263 pounds, both of which received mixed to poor results in his Relative Athletic Score (RAS). But it's not about traits with Bain; it's all about the results, and there was plenty of that during his time with Miami. He recorded 20.5 sacks in three seasons, including a career-high of 9.5 in 2025. He generated 67 total pressures -- second only to David Bailey -- and had more hurries than anyone among FBS defenders. And despite his arm length and size, Bain has shown multiple times that he can impact games.
Makai Lemon, WR, USC: The Trojans put him all over the field, but he spent the majority of his time in the slot, where he could use his quickness, route running ability and patience to get open in the middle of the field. There were few players better than Lemon last season. He ranked fifth among FBS receivers in the slot, where he played 70.6% of his snaps, with a grade of 90.3, and quarterbacks had a passer rating of 109.8 when targeted -- the fifth-best among any receiver.
Jordyn Tyson, WR, Arizona State: His injury history has dominated his evaluation, but when he was on the field, he showed several traits that excited NFL scouts. He caught 158 passes for 2,282 yards and 22 touchdowns in 33 games, averaging 14.4 yards per reception. He earned two all-conference selections in his final two seasons to go with two Third Team All-American nods. He can also take over a game, just as he did when he had 141 yards and two touchdowns in Arizona State's opener against Northern Arizona.
David Bailey, EDGE, Texas Tech: Bailey wouldn't singlehandedly turn the Commanders' defense into the league's best pass-rushing unit, but he would certainly provide some immediate help. He ranked third among all FBS players in pass rush grade (93.3) and generated 73 pressures for the Red Raiders. He ranked fifth in the previous season. He beat out players like Abdul Carter, despite Bailey getting 100 fewer pass-rush opportunities. He did put together promising performances against Texas Tech's more difficult opponents. He had four pressures against BYU in the Big 12 Championship and against Oregon in the first round of the College Football Playoff with a sack in each game. In fact, it was his production against Oregon that convinced Commanders analyst Logan Paulsen that he is the best pass rusher this year's draft class has to offer.
Caleb Downs, S, Ohio State: Versatility is a key component to Downs' skill set, and there's not much the two-time Big Ten Defensive Back of the Year cannot do. In the three seasons of his college career, he's lined up at multiple spots on Alabama and Ohio State's defense, from traditional free safety (799 snaps) to in the box (682 snaps) and even close to the line of scrimmage (58 snaps). And over the last three seasons, it's been hard to find a safety -- or defensive player, for that matter -- who has been more consistent than Downs. According to Pro Football Focus, he was the only safety with grades of at least an 80 in overall defense (83.9), run defense (83), tackling (82.2) and coverage (87). In fact, he never graded lower than a 78 in any of those categories during his college career.
