While the 2025 NFL season for the Washington Commanders has been over since January 4th, it has now ended for every other team, and the draft order is officially set. The belief around the Commanders after their impressive 2024 season was that they would at worst be a middle-of-the-pack team.
Unfortunately, this was not the case, and the Commanders finished with a measly 5-12 record and landed the seventh pick in the 2026 NFL draft.
Neither side of the ball was good for Washington this season, but the defense was an overwhelming failure. In the 2025 NFL season, the Commanders’ defense gave up the most total yards, third most rush yards, and fifth most pass yards.
Clearly, improvements need to be made, and Washington has begun those new improvements by hiring new defensive coordinator Daronte Jones. It seems reasonable to believe the team will look to improve the defense more in free agency, as they have the fifth-highest cap space in the league.
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​In this article, we will bypass free agency and see how Washington can use their draft capital to improve their lackluster defensive core.
​Dream Round One Scenario: DE Rueben Bain Jr. (Miami)
​Back in the early 2020s, Washington’s defensive line was its strongest asset. At one point, this team had the likes of Chase Young, Montez Sweat, Jonathan Allen, and Da’Ron Payne, all at the peak of their careers. Now, the defensive line may be the weakest part of the Commanders’ roster, especially at defensive end.
​In Washington’s dream scenario, the best defensive end in the draft would fall right into their lap. While this is unlikely, it isn’t impossible. Clearly, the Las Vegas Raiders will be taking quarterback Fernando Mendoza with the first pick, and the teams selecting two through six have varying interests, with only the Tennessee Titans seemingly targeting a defensive end.
As mentioned before, the most likely outcome is that the Titans will use their pick on Rueben Bain Jr. and pair him with former college teammate Cam Ward. Recently, though, Texas Tech defensive end David Bailey has gained traction as becoming the first edge rusher off the board.
If Tennessee decides to take the chance on Bailey, Washington would happily take Bain to become the new leader of their front seven. In his junior season at the University of Miami, Bain tallied nine sacks, five of which came in Miami’s playoff run, and 15.5 tackles for loss, made the All-American team, and won the 2025 ACC Defensive Player of the Year.
If this premier prospect falls to Washington at seven, it will be the easiest draft decision they have had to make in recent years, as he is clearly a top-five talent in the draft and fills a need at an immensely important position.
Realistic Round One Scenario: DE David Bailey (Texas Tech)
As previously mentioned, the most likely scenario is that Miami’s star defensive end, Rueben Bain Jr., will most likely end up in Tennessee, or if not Tennessee, then some other team in the top six. The more likely outcome is that Washington uses their pick on a different defensive end, and most likely that will be David Bailey.
The brightest star of Texas Tech’s incredible defense was the senior defensive end. Not only did Bailey earn All-American honors, but he also led the Big 12 in tackles for loss with 19.5 and led the entire FBS with 14.5 sacks. Bailey was also PFF’s highest graded defensive end in 2025, earning a 93.3 grade.​
Like Bain, Bailey fills the hole at defensive end for Washington, and his production leap has shown he is ready to produce at the next level right away.
Sleeper First Round Choice: CB Mansoor Delane (LSU)
If Washington’s nightmare comes true, both Reuben Bain Jr. and David Bailey will be off the board by the time pick seven rolls around. Although defensive end is still their biggest need, they should not panic and reach for a defensive end who isn’t worth that high of a selection when the defense clearly has other holes.
One of those needs is in the secondary, as the Commanders were a bottom-five pass defense, and their secondary only forced six interceptions the entire season. Many mock drafts have had Washington targeting Ohio State’s standout safety, Caleb Downs, but unless they believe Downs is a generational talent, pick seven seems high for a safety. Especially considering the free agent safety class is relatively stacked, and Washington has money to spend.
Looking at the Commanders’ cornerback room, their top three are Marshon Lattimore, who is entering his age-30 season off a torn ACL and a disappointing 2025 season; Mike Sainristill, who, although he has high interception numbers, struggles with downfield coverage on larger receivers; and Trey Amos, who is entering his second NFL season. With Lattimore being a potential cut candidate this offseason, talent is thin in Washington’s cornerback room.
LSU’s standout corner, Mansoor Delane, is coming off an All-American senior season where he forced 11 pass breakups and was PFF’s third-highest-rated corner. To bolster their secondary, Washington could look to free agency to improve their safeties while adding a premier corner in the draft.
Mid-Round Stud: LB Jacob Rodriguez (Texas Tech)
Unfortunately for Washington, outside of round one, they do not have much other draft capital to help improve their team. After their first-round pick, they won’t be on the clock for another 64 picks, unless they choose to trade back up. If they don’t, one of the gems of the draft may be staring them dead in the face when round three rolls around.
Linebacker may not be the position Washington is looking to address in round one, but with Bobby Wagner set to leave or retire this offseason and Frankie Luvu only getting older, a new face in the unit is needed. Texas Tech’s Jacob Rodriguez is the perfect prospect to do, and well worth the risk of a third-round selection.
Before this season, Rodriguez had little to no draft expectations, but then he put together an All-American season, leading him to a fifth-place finish in Heisman voting, along with both the Nagurski and Bednarik awards. Rodriguez proved this season that he is clearly NFL-caliber, and if he is still improving, he could end up being viewed as a steal years down the line.
Late-Round Potential: S Bishop Fitzgerald (USC)
If you can’t tell by now, being an All-American is a trend with these prospects, and it becomes even more important as the draft goes on. If you have an opportunity to take an All-American talent on day three, don’t pass that chance up. That is exactly the opportunity that the Commanders may be presented with if Bishop Fitzgerald is still on the board.
In his time at both North Carolina State and USC, Fitzgerald has proven to be an effective ball-hawk, coming up with 14 interceptions in 36 games. To succeed next year, Washington will have to force more turnovers, and Fitzgerald has proven to have the upside to be, at the very least, someone who can track down deep balls and give the ball back to the offenses.
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