The views and opinions expressed in this article do not reflect the opinion of the team.
In anticipation of the 2026 NFL Draft, which will be held April 23 – 25 at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, here’s a compilation of various league experts’ predictions about what the Washington Commanders will do with the No. 7 overall pick. Check back weekly until the draft for more updates.
Expert: Eric Edholm, NFL.com
Selection: Mansoor Delane, CB, LSU (April 20)
Analysis: Delane is a D.C.-area prospect who fills a need, returning home a more polished corner than when he left Virginia Tech for LSU. That said, I’m sure Commanders general manager Adam Peters would love to trade down if a decent offer were to materialize.
Expert: Mike Florio, ProFootballTalk
Selection: Mansoor Delane, CB, LSU (April 20)
Expert: Jordan Reid, ESPN
Selection: Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame (April 20)
Analysis: The Commanders need help everywhere, so I have them taking the player I feel is the best in this year’s class. Love is an explosive play waiting to happen and would unlock multiple layers of the playbook that Washington couldn’t access last season. He rushed for 1,372 yards and 18 touchdowns in 2025 and had 39 runs of 10 or more yards, fourth most in the FBS. Having quarterback Jayden Daniels and Love together would strike fear in NFL defenses.
Expert: Conor Orr, Sports Illustrated
Selection: Carnell Tate, WR, Ohio State (April 21)
Analysis: I really liked Makai Lemon here with the Amon-Ra St. Brown comparison. But when I came across this quote about Tate from former Ohio State teammate Will Howard (via this ESPN piece), it convinced me that Tate could be the best receiver to operate in new coordinator David Blough’s system.
Expert: R.J. White, CBS Sports
Selection: Carnell Tate, WR, Ohio State (April 20)
Analysis: If Tate gets by the Giants and Browns, he makes a ton of sense for the Commanders here to be the long-term WR1 replacement for another former Buckeye in Terry McLaurin, who turns 31 in September. Jayden Daniels’ weapons have to improve to give the young quarterback the best chance at success.
Expert: Ryan Wilson, CBS Sports
Selection: Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame (April 20)
Analysis: The Commanders could go wide receiver or edge rusher here, but Love not only fills a need in the backfield, he’s a receiving threat, too. I love the idea of pairing him with Jayden Daniels in the backfield.
Expert: Nate Tice and Charles McDonald, Yahoo Sports
Selection: Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame (April 21)
Analysis: There simply aren’t many offenses that can unleash a quarterback and running back that can both run a sub-4.4 40 on every snap. I like how the Commanders addressed the running back room already this offseason, and they have other positions and needs on their roster they could easily go after. But with so many defensive players going early, and the Commanders perhaps feeling like they can address offensive needs later, they instead go with perhaps the best skill player in this year’s draft class to boost their offense with first time play-caller David Blough.
Expert: Nathan Jahnke, Pro Football Focus
Selection: Rueben Bain Jr., EDGE, Miami (April 20)
Analysis: Bain led all FBS edge defenders in pressures (83) last season and would be the Commanders’ top pass rusher if selected.
Expert: Mel Kiper Jr., ESPN
Selection: Carnell Tate, WR, Ohio State (April 18)
Analysis: Paired with another Ohio State product in Terry McLaurin, Tate would bring clean route running, reliability and some big-play ability. He averaged 17.2 yards per catch last season en route to 875 yards and nine trips to the end zone. Considering the Commanders would be relying on Luke McCaffrey, Treylon Burks and Dyami Brown behind McLaurin, this makes sense.
Expert: Alex Byington, On3.com
Selection: Caleb Downs, S, Ohio State (April 16)
Analysis: Washington is another team that overhauled its roster in free agency, and could be targeting a true game-changer here at No. 7. But with Love and Tate off the board, that leaves the 6-foot Downs, who is versatile enough to contribute at all three levels of Commanders head coach Dan Quinn’s defense.
Expert: Bucky Brooks, NFL.com
Selection: Caleb Downs, S, Ohio State (April 21)
Analysis: After debating the pros and cons of taking a shutdown cornerback who theoretically offers better positional value, Dan Quinn and Adam Peters instead opt for the best player available. Downs’ instincts, awareness, versatility and communication skills will upgrade a defense that needs to get back on track with a strong performance in 2026.
Expert: CBS Sports Staff
Selection: David Bailey, EDGE, Texas Tech (April 20)
Analysis: I think David Bailey fills a need. You can never have enough edge rushers.
Expert: Chris Paolantonio, SB Nation
Selection: Jordyn Tyson, WR, Arizona State (April 21)
Analysis: Tyson held a private workout less than one week before the NFL Draft in front of over half of the league, in hopes to negate any outside opinions on his injury status/history (hamstring). There were glowing reviews from numerous sources on-site…