The 2025 season was a lost year for the franchise formerly known as the Washington Redskins. The Commanders went from playing in the NFC Championship Game to landing the seventh pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. While they caught lightning in a bottle the previous year, they enter the 2026 offseason with a lot of needs on their roster, including more playmakers for Jayden Daniels and fixing holes on their defense. In speaking to team sources, their preference is take an edge rusher in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft.
With the seventh pick, Washington probably will miss out on Ohio State’s Arvell Reese. Texas Tech’s David Bailey could be a great fit for head coach Dan Quinn, but Bailey could be off the board as well. After that pair, Washington could consider some other options, like Miami’s Rueben Bain. They also might look to trade down as they are without a second-round pick from the Laremy Tunsil trade. In a move down, some edge options to consider include Auburn’s Keldric Faulk, Missouri’s Zion Young, Texas A&M’s Cashius Howell, and Oklahoma’s R. Mason Thomas. Moving down and landing an edge rusher could be the ideal draft, but trading down is always easier said than done, especially in the top 10.
Sources with Washington say they won’t force the pick and reach to fill a need. They will take the best player available, but their preference is to add an edge rusher at seven. Check my latest 2026 NFL Mock Draft to see which edge rusher I currently project them taking.
