Feb. 21, 2026, 3:01 a.m. ET
Outside of the Las Vegas Raiders with the No. 1 overall pick, the 2026 NFL Draft is shaping up to be unpredictable. Some of it is due to a lack of top-end depth. It also doesn’t help that there is only one quarterback worthy of going in the top 10 — maybe even the first round period.
The unpredictability is also helped by team needs. Several of the teams inside the top 10 have multiple needs, including the Washington Commanders. Washington needs help everywhere on defense, and at wide receiver and tight end on offense. Fortunately, the Commanders have plenty of money to spend, so some of those needs will be addressed when free agency begins next month.
So, when Washington is on the clock at No. 7 overall, nothing is off the table. The Commanders could go edge rusher, off-ball linebacker, cornerback, safety, wide receiver, or running back. Mock drafts have been all over the place for Washington. However, for the second time in over a week, we’ve seen LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane projected to the Commanders.
Charles Davis, who calls games for CBS and is also an analyst for NFL.com, recently put together his first mock draft and sent Delane to Washington.
The top cornerback in the draft heads to Washington, which should be making major investments on defense this offseason.
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Delane can do a little bit of everything. He has solid size, good speed and started four years in college. Delane played three years at Virginia Tech before transferring to LSU in 2025 and becoming an All-American. Delane is a physical player who is terrific in press-man coverage, but has also thrived in zone.
If the Commanders select Delane, that would be three cornerbacks selected in three years, following Mike Sainristil (2024, second round) and Trey Amos (2025, second round).