The Washington Commanders hold the No. 7 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Washington has many needs, and as evidenced by every mock draft, no one has a clue what general manager Adam Peters is thinking.

Free agency begins in two weeks and could shape the direction the Commanders will go with their first pick in April’s draft. Most mock drafts have Washington looking for an edge rusher, usually David Bailey (Texas Tech) and Rueben Bain Jr. (Miami), but there’s a good chance that both could be gone. Other mock drafts have Washington going linebacker (Sonny Styles or Arvell Reese), safety (Caleb Downs), cornerback (Mansoor Delane), running back (Jeremiyah Love), or wide receiver (Carnell Tate).

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If the Commanders can address edge rusher in free agency, there’s a good chance they could look elsewhere in the draft. Of course, the need is so dire that Washington could double dip, spending free-agency money on an edge rusher and drafting one at No. 7 overall.

NFL draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah recently held his pre-NFL Combine conference call and was asked about Washington. He definitely sees the Commanders looking for defensive help.

“Well, I think if you look at the (Vikings defensive coordinator Brian) Flores defense, a lot is talked about the design, the creativity, the aggressiveness,” Jeremiah said. “You look at having corners that can hold up there that can play the ball. And, I think it all starts, though, with guys who can win up front. So, even with all the design of it, I still think you want guys who can win one-on-one as pass rushers. And I think that’s the biggest need for this team. So, I would love for, you know, a Rueben Bain to be there. I don’t think Bailey or Reese will be there as we get closer. We’ll see. I mean, if you, any of those three guys, I’d be elated.”

Washington’s win over the Eagles in the season finale cost them two draft spots, which, if Jeremiah is right, may cause the Commanders to miss on the top edge rushers.

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That doesn’t mean Washington can’t come away with a premier player, though.

“If you could pull one of those guys and then Downs as someone who can kind of create the chaos or orchestrate the chaos, as someone who’s highly, highly intelligent,” Jeremiah continued. “You know, he’s going to, everybody’s going to have a need for that and use for that. But I think, you know, as complex as you want to get, having guys that can win up front on the defensive line, when you get them, those opportunities to rush one-on-one with the scheme is big. And then I think having, you know, smart guys, can play the ball and kind of orchestrate things. I think there’s value there as well. So, they’re in a good spot. There’s good and bad news. The bad news is you got a lot of needs. The good news is you’re going to definitely fill one of them here.”

Jeremiah said it best. Washington’s plethora of needs almost ensures that it will come away with a quality player who can help them immediately.

This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Washington Commanders: Daniel Jeremiah says one need stands out