Who is Washington picking in 2026?
One last mock draft roundup? Yes one last mock draft roundup, this time looking at the way too early projections for Washington’s 1st round draft pick in 2026. The mock drafters think Washington will be successful again next season, with a draft range from #1 – #11. Vegas has also set expectations below average with a starting line of 9.5 wins for Washington in 2025. Super Bowl odds are currently at +1800.
The Commanders had 5 picks going into this year’s draft, and added 5 players with no trade downs. Washington had several needs entering last week’s draft, but Adam Peters said the first three picks were the highest-rated players on their board. Those positions were OT, CB, and WR; positions that were considered needs going into the draft.
This roundup has 41 way too early 2026 mock drafts and 13 of them feature RBs. Washington drafted Jacory Croskey-Merritt in the 7th round, and he is the only running back who will be under contract after this season(Chris Rodriguez Jr. is a restricted free agent). Notre Dame’s Jeremiyah Love and Penn State’s Nicholas Singleton are popular choices to be the Commanders’ new feature back.
The one position that Washington got knocked the most for not drafting this year was EDGE/DE, and that is the second-most mocked position for the Commanders in this roundup. There are 8 different players over 11 different mock drafts. Washington is expected to sign a veteran free agent after not drafting one, but they will likely be looking to get younger at the position next year.
Position selections:
WR – 5
TE – 1
RB – 13
OG – 2
EDGE – 12
DL – 2
LB – 6
Where will Washington pick, and who/what position should they take next year?
#12
Cleveland.com(Goul)
Jordyn Tyson, WR, Arizona State
As mentioned last year that quarterback-hungry teams in 2025 would be better off waiting for the 2026 draft class, teams that need a big-time receiver will be luckier in 2027 when Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith and Alabama’s Ryan Williams become available. Tyson leads next year’s consolation prizes at the moment, projected as the No. 3 returning receiver in college football by PFF after gaining 1,098 yards as a redshirt sophomore who transferred from Colorado.
#18
Walter Football(Campbell)
Harold Perkins, LB, LSU
The Commanders could use some youth at linebacker.
In 2024, Perkins has 16 tackles. Perkins was a beast and was all over the field for LSU as a freshman in 2022, totaling 72 tackles, 7.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, one interception and four passes batted. In 2023, Perkins recorded 7.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, 74 tackles, and four passes batted. The 6-foot-1, 220-pounder possesses a unique body type and is undersized as an edge defender, but there is no doubt about his explosive speed and tremendous instincts.
Draft Wire(Popejoy)
Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame
#23
Sportsnaut(Johnson)
Jordyn Tyson, WR, Arizona State
The Washington Commanders added veteran wide receivers Deebo Samuel Sr. and Michael Gallup for the 2025 campaign, but they need better long-term answers. That’s where Jordyn Tyson comes into play as a top option in 2026. After a quiet career at Colorado, the 6-foot-1 wideout was honored with the Big 12 Offensive Newcomer of the Year in 2024 after being one of the top offensive weapons in the conference. Coming off a season with over 1,100 yards and double-digit touchdowns, Tyson can replicate those numbers with Sam Leavitt under center once again. If he can do that, he’d be an ideal partner opposite Terry McLaurin.
#24
Pro Football Focus(Chadwick/Wasserman)
LT Overton, EDGE, Alabama
Overton is one of the more versatile and well-rounded defensive linemen returning to college football. After transferring to Alabama from Texas A&M, he posted an 81.7 PFF run-defense grade along with a 77.6 PFF pass-rush grade in 2024. He also led the Crimson Tide by a wide margin with 39 pressures and generated an 18% pass-rush win rate.
NBC Sports(Froton)
David Bailey, EDGE, Texas Tech
Despite playing on one of the worst Power 4 defensive units at Stanford, Bailey has still managed to create a sterling 20.4% pressure rate with 16.0 havoc plays. He transfers to the well-funded Texas Tech Red Raiders this season and is poised to excel in head coach Joey Maguire’s loaded defense.
NBC Sports Philadelphia(Frank)
Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame
The Commanders have a serviceable back in Brian Robinson along with 30-year-old Austin Ekeler, but they haven’t taken a 1st-round running back since Idaho’s Ray McDonald in 1967. That didn’t go well. McDonald ran for just 223 yards in his career. But maybe it’s time for Washington to try again. Love put himself on the map with a monster 2024 for the Fighting Irish, with 1,125 rushing yards, a 6.9 rushing average and 17 touchdowns. That 6.9 rushing average was highest by a Notre Dame back since Josh Adams averaged 7.1 in 2015. Adams went undrafted but wound up leading the Eagles in rushing in 2018. Love is a solid 6-foot, 205 pounds, and has a world of speed with true home run potential. He’s versatile enough that he had over 250 rushing yards and a couple more touchdowns last year, and he runs with tremendous vision and anticipation, understanding how to work behind his blocks to set up big yards.
Fox Sports(McIntyre)
Anthony Hill, LB, Texas
Bobby Wagner was excellent in 2024 for Washington, but can we expect the nearly 35-year-old to do that again? Hill goes into next season as the premier inside linebacker in college football.
Sharp Football Analysis(Donahue)
David Bailey, EDGE, Texas Tech
It was surprising the Commanders didn’t select an edge rusher at all in the 2025 NFL Draft.
That must change in 2026, and Bailey, who had seven sacks at Stanford last year before transferring to Texas Tech, would be a good start.
Yahoo Sports(Harbaugh)
Nick Singleton, RB, Penn State
Newsweek(Borquez)
Nick Singleton, RB, Penn State
FanSided(Williams)
Keldric Faulk, DL, Auburn
#25
The Athletic(Brugler)
Whit Weeks, LB, LSU
Weeks was a tackling machine for the Tigers last season and looked like a future early-round pick. He suffered a dislocated ankle in LSU’s bowl game, but he’ll hopefully return to his 2024 form early this upcoming season.
The 33rd Team(Crabbs)
LT Overton, EDGE, Alabama
Washington has been committed to rebuilding the trenches this offseason under Dan Quinn after its 2024 breakout. But playing in the NFC East means your line can’t just be “good” — or you may fall off the pace.
Adding the supersized Overton to the Commanders’ defensive front gives them the power and depth they’ll need to go toe to toe with Philly and Dallas on the line.
The Score(Belbeck)
Sonny Styles, LB, Ohio State
Styles was often overshadowed by the endless future NFLers on the Ohio State defense last year, but the linebacker was still one of the Buckeyes’ most important players. Look for him to get more attention this time around as one of the leaders on that side of the ball.
Yardbarker(Trachtman)
Roderick Kearney, OG, Florida
Kearney appears to be an elite interior line prospect after a strong 2024 season. The former top recruit could take another step forward as a prospect this year, and add to a Washington offensive line that revamped their tackle spots heading into 2025.
Cat Scratch Reader
Zxavian Harris, DT, Ole Miss
The Commanders still need to replace Jonathan Allen, and Harris could be that guy.
Draft Countdown(Lamb)
Tyreak Sapp, EDGE, Florida
It’s difficult to find a hole on defense for the Commanders, but they can’t go wrong with an edge rusher.
Draft Countdown(Menendez)
Dani Dennis-Sutton, EDGE, Penn State
I’d guess edge rusher today, so give me a guy that I think would be in consideration as a day two prospect in this draft class.
A to Z Sports(May)
Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame
Jeremiyah Love flashed potential as a true freshman, but then exploded last season as the most productive sophomore running back in the country. Nearly 1400 yards from scrimmage. Just shy of 20 total touchdowns. Over seven yards per offensive touch. Jeremiyah Love is a sprinter with the balance and receiving skills to make him a potential feature back in the NFL. The Commanders are in great need of a dynamic rushing threat to pair with their incredibly mobile quarterback and Love fits that bill.
#26
ESPN(Reid)
Matayo Uiagalelei, EDGE, Oregon
Edge rusher is a clear weak spot on the Commanders’ roster. Uiagalelei took a major step forward as a sophomore in 2024, with 10.5 sacks and 13 tackles for loss. At 6-foot-5 and 270 pounds, he is a versatile edge rusher who already has an established repertoire of pass-rush moves. Coach Dan Quinn would love him rushing the passer in D.C.
CBS Sports (Edwards)
Keldric Faulk, EDGE, Auburn
Faulk is a long body who has all of the tools. It is similar to Gregory Rousseau coming out of Miami. He could take the fight to the offensive linemen more often and force the issue, but that could come with time.
CBS Sports (Brockermeyer)
Gabe Jacas, EDGE, Illinois
Jacas has adequate speed off the edge but wins with a nice arsenal of moves from hand swipes, to inside counters, and power rushes. He can even rush out of the interior, so he’d be a nice, disruptive player for Dan Quinn’s defense.
USA Today(Middlehurst-Schwatz)
Nick Singleton, RB, Penn State
With Washington fully embracing its expedited arrival to the NFC’s contending class by making bold moves to support Jayden Daniels while the quarterback is on a rookie contract, why not take another stab at trying to put the offense over the top? While Brian Robinson Jr. – who is entering the final year of his rookie contract – has been reliable, Singleton would change the complexion of the Commanders’ attack with his breakaway speed while still maintaining the power and versatility to be a three-down threat.
Sporting News(Iyer)
Sonny Styles, LB, Ohio State
The Commanders have worked quite a bit on defensive line, edge and cornerback for Dan Quinn’s defense the past two years but should want to clean up things better at linebacker with this rangy cover man and tackler.
Fox Sports(Rang)
Kenyon Sadiq, TE, Oregon
Retaining veteran Zach Ertz was a smart move by the Commanders, but he’ll be entering Year 13 in the NFL, and Washington should be looking for reinforcements at the position. Sadiq was overshadowed by all the talent in Eugene this past season, but he’s a mismatch on the verge of a breakout campaign.
Sports Illustrated(Fischer)
Rueben Bain Jr., EDGE, Miami
GM Adam Peters signed a ton of free agents to help Dan Quinn retool the Commanders defense, but Washington needs to eventually get younger on that side of the ball. Landing Bain is a great way to do that and a tremendous value here, given that he’s capable of turning into a top-10 pick with another good season in Coral Gables, Fla.
College Football Network(Bergstrom)
Justice Haynes, RB, Alabama
The Commanders will aim to take a similar approach as Cincinnati in pairing Haynes right next to fellow Crimson Tide RB Brian Robinson Jr., who will be going on his fifth season in Washington come 2026. At 5’11”, 210 pounds, Haynes packs a punch while also having the ability to run away from defenders, adding to the dynamic abilities of the Commanders’ offense.
Walter Football
Harold Perkins, LB, LSU
The Redskins put together a strong draft class, but the one thing they failed to do was acquire an edge rusher.
Harold Perkins is a beast who broke on to the scene with 7.5 sacks as a freshman. He’s an explosive player with tremendous instincts.
Tankathon
Nicholas Singleton, RB, Penn State
247 Sports(Crawford)
Nicholas Singleton, RB, Penn State
#27
San Diego Union~Tribune(Brown)
Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame
Brian Robinson Jr., Austin Ekeler and Jeremy McNichols, currently the top 3 running backs on the Commanders’ depth chart, are all facing free agency after next season. Love features home run capabilities and averaged 6.9 yards per carry last season, third among Power Four running backs, while producing a 38% forced missed tackle rate, which ranked second.
Athlon Sports(Easterling)
LT Overton, EDGE, Alabama
Washington somehow managed to come out of this year’s loaded class without a starting-caliber edge rusher, and they’ll have to fix that next year. Overton’s combination of size, strength and athleticism gives him the versatility to line up on the edge or slide inside, and he’s a well-rounded defender against both the run and pass.
USA Today(Brinkerhoff)
LT Overton, EDGE, Alabama
Overton elected to return to Alabama for his senior season, but that didn’t hurt his draft stock as he still lands in the first round. Dan Quinn lands a key piece for his defense in Overton, who could be a problem for opposing offenses to deal with in the future.
Pro Football Network(Cummings)
Nicholas Singleton, RB, Penn State
The Washington Commanders, contrary to expectations, passed on early-round RB talent in the 2025 NFL Draft, signifying that they’ll stick with Brian Robinson Jr. as their RB1 in 2025. But in 2026, anything and everything is on the table, and Nicholas Singleton could earn their eye.
Singleton could’ve declared in 2025 after a 2024 campaign that saw him amass almost 1,500 yards from scrimmage and 22 total TDs. Instead, he returns as a top RB prospect. Singleton is a home-run threat at 6’0″, 227 pounds with good vision, efficiency, and receiving versatility.
NFL Spin Zone(Bedinger)
Spencer Fano, OG, Utah
The Washington Commanders have done such a great job of building around young quarterback Jayden Daniels, who absolutely lit up the NFL in his first season after winning the Heisman Trophy at LSU. The Commanders made Josh Conerly their first-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft and they traded for Laremy Tunsil, but they can continue to load up on the offensive line. What is the future of the guard position there in Washington?
Spencer Fano is a big, athletic road grader who plays tackle for the Utah program but could slide inside at the next level and give them some value here late in the 1st round.
Bleacher Report(Sobleski)
Carnell Tate, WR, Ohio State
Fresh off a run to the NFC Championship Game, the Washington Commanders are going all-in on winning a Super Bowl while Jayden Daniels remains on a rookie contract.
Washington’s front office made a couple of big trades this offseason, bringing in offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil and wide receiver Deebo Samuel.
While Tunsil is only under contract through 2026 and has no dead cap on his deal past this upcoming season, Washington used its first-round pick on a succession plan by taking Josh Conerly Jr. this past weekend. Plus, the club spent a third-rounder on Brandon Coleman in 2024.
Meanwhile, Samuel is on a contract year, as is Terry McLaurin, making wide receiver a big need next offseason. Bringing back one of those two—likely McLaurin—is probable but both aren’t, especially considering the organization will want to save room for Daniels’ eventual massive extension.
General manager Adam Peters will likely prioritize adding a big target outside to pair with McLaurin by giving Daniels another Ohio State wide receiver in Carnell Tate.
The 6’3” Tate logged 52 catches for 733 yards and four touchdowns while serving as the Buckeyes’ No. 3 receiver last season.
Bleacher Report(Buckley)
Carnell Tate, WR, Ohio State
The Draft Network(Sanchez)
Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame
#29
TWSN(Bradshaw)
Nyck Harbor, WR, South Carolina
#32
All Access Football(Serritella)
Makhi Hughes, RB, Oregon