Washington Commanders general manager Adam Peters and assistant general manager Lance Newmark addressed the media one week before the start of the 2026 NFL Draft. Here are five takeaways from their press conference.
- "You hear something new every day."
Every draft contains a level of predictability, but there are even more unknown factors this year, particularly in the top 10. Aside from Fernando Mendoza likely going No. 1 overall to the Las Vegas Raiders, there is no consensus on what the remaining nine teams will do.
With just a week left until the draft begins, Peters admits he still doesn't have a clear vision of what will happen in front of the Commanders.
"It's hard to understand or figure out where everything's gonna go," Peters said. "You hear something new every day, and nobody's telling the truth."
Part of that confusion comes from the lack of talent at "premium" positions like quarterback and offensive tackle projected to be taken in the top 10. Teams have to settle for choosing prospects who have robust skill sets but play non-traditionally valuable positions like running back, safety and linebacker. Each team will have their own perspectives on how valuable those players can be, which adds a shroud of uncertainty to picks two through 10.
For Peters and his staff, the best approach is the same as the last two offseasons, which is to trust their board, determine who is the best available when they're on the clock and be prepared to make any decision. However, regardless of how the board falls, Peters is confident the Commanders will get a player who can help them.
- "More likely than not" sticking and picking.
The Commanders only have six picks in this year's draft -- the third fewest in the NFL -- and under normal circumstances, Peters and his staff might consider trading back to get more picks and improve their chances at getting impact players at multiple positions.
But this isn't a conventional draft class, and there are some analysts like ESPN's Matt Miller who only have about a dozen players receiving first-round grades. Anything can happen on draft night, but Peters isn't anticipating much movement.
"I would say more likely than not that would happen," Peters said when asked if he anticipates picking at No. 7. "You never know. It'll depend on who's on the board."
Once again, this goes back to the lack of players at "premium" positions, specifically quarterback, at the top of the draft. There are three edge players with Arvell Reese, David Bailey and Rueben Bain who could generate some interest, but Reese and Bailey are expected to be top five picks and will be long gone by the time the Commanders are on the clock.
Still, similar to the Atlanta Falcons trading back into the first round to draft James Pearce last year, there's always a chance, and the Commanders will need to be ready if that scenario comes up. There are several factors for them to consider, such as who's available and could still be on the board depending on how far they move back.
There's also the chance that Washington views the players available at No. 7 as too good to pass on. That was the case last offseason, when the Commanders turned down multiple offers to trade back from No. 29 to take Josh Conerly. Seeing as there could be players that would seriously elevate the roster at No. 7, that might end up being the case once again next week.
- Several players who can positively impact the defense.
Perhaps the Commanders' biggest offseason task has been to restructure the defense, which struggled in 2025 and is now led by coordinator Daronte Jones. The Commanders could provide a young player to bolster the unit with the No. 7 pick, and there could be some intriguing players available to them.
Peters didn't name any names, of course, but he acknowledged the opportunity is there.
"That could be anywhere on the field," Peters said. "There's a lot of guys that will possibly be there at different levels of the defense, really every position, quite frankly, that can help impact us in a real positive way."
The Commanders are in an interesting spot at No. 7 because of the possibilities that could be available to them. It might be a long shot for one of the top edge players to be available, but there are several mock drafts that have players like Reese or Bailey getting to them. There's also a chance they could acquire one of the best athletes in linebacker Sonny Styles or one of the smartest in safety Caleb Downs. Cornerback is a position considered to be likely untouched by the time No. 7 comes around, which means LSU's Mansoor Delane or Tennessee's Jermod McCoy could make sense.
The most important factor for Peters is to give the Commanders a player that can both immediately impact the team for the 2026 season and beyond. Peters didn't appear worried about that, regardless of who falls to them.
"There's not too many guys that aren't scheme fits," he said. "They're all pretty good, so I think it's just picking the most impactful guy that can help us."
- Prepping for every scenario.
The public aren't the only ones who pay attention to mock drafts. Like every other team, the Commanders keep track of them as well, and it's part of their efforts to stay ready for every possible scenario that can happen next Thursday.
"We monitor everything...so we can have an idea of where guys are getting mocked, where guys are seen around the league to media, to the draft experts," Peters said.
It's not a perfect science, of course; national media and teams often have different perspectives on players. However, it does help inform the Commanders and remove some of the biases on certain prospects. It also provides insight on their practice runs ahead of the draft. They run several simulations, including some with trades, to discuss what they would do if that situation were presented to them on draft night. That work is happening now, and it might be even more important with the timer between picks being cut from 10 minutes to eight.
- Pick the best players available.
Positional value in the draft has been a major topic this offseason, particularly for the Commanders, who will likely have to choose a player at a non-traditionally valuable position if they do end up staying at No. 7. It raises debates about what the best move is to build a roster and whether it makes sense to add players at spots like running back or linebacker in favor of cornerback or receiver -- two positions that have more impact and can be expensive in free agency.
All those factors are likely running through Peters' head, but his biggest charge, regardless of the order, is to find the best players that can provide the most impact.
"I think that applies everywhere; at every position," Peters said. "You get too deep into positional value, and you kind of get lost in who's gonna be able to help your team."
Peters doesn't want to play three-dimensional chess when it comes to the draft. It's already a difficult process, and adding more layers to it only muddies things even further. There may be a receiver or cornerback available that could be the best option for Washington, but there's also a possibility that the best player available to them is actually a running back, linebacker or safety.
The good news for Washington is that they prepared for this possibility. The moves they made in free agency ensure that they don't need to take a certain position and pass on the best player available. They can truly take the prospect that elevates the roster the most, and there's enough room for improvement that almost any move they make will accomplish that.
