Jan. 27, 2026, 6:15 a.m. ET

The Washington Commanders are entering a crucial offseason. The team has some major holes after finishing with just five wins last season, and it will be hard to fill them all.

The team is currently slated to have the No. 7 pick in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft. There are several directions the team could go, but a recent mock draft has the team selecting possibly the best overall defender.

In the most recent mock draft from PFSN’s Alec Elijah, the Commanders land Ohio State star Caleb Downs. Downs is listed as a safety, but he can play in the slot or pretty much anywhere else on defense.

Regarding Downs and the Commanders, Elijah offered the following:

Despite the fact that the safety position is often undervalued in the NFL Draft, there’s no way a player as talented as Caleb Downs will slip out of the top ten. A team like the Washington Commanders could greatly benefit from adding someone of his defensive caliber to their secondary.

Currently, aside from Trey Amos and Mike Sainristil, Washington lacks any standout players in that position. For this mock draft, Downs currently holds the No. 1 Prospect Grade from PFSN, with a tape showcasing both elite athleticism and a football IQ beyond his years.

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As Elijah mentioned, safeties are often undervalued in the draft, but Downs is so good that it seems inevitable he’s a top ten pick.

In 2025, Downs played in 14 games and collected 68 tackles, five tackles for loss, one sack, and two interceptions. The defender earned First-team All-American honors for his performance and helped get the Buckeyes back to the College Football Playoff.

Downs ends his college career with a whopping 257 tackles, 16 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, and six interceptions. Downs also received First-team All-American honors twice and even received Heisman votes in 2025.

In Washington, Downs could be immediately a game-changer. The Commanders need both safety spots, and Downs could contribute at either. There’s no other safety in this class with as high a ceiling as Downs.

Elijah also isn’t the first person to link Downs to the Commanders. It seems inevitable that the team will attack the offense in free agency and load up on young defensive talent in the draft.