ASHBURN, Va. — The Washington Commanders wanted to get younger and faster, to rebuild their defense — particularly their pass rush — and to find more help for quarterback Jayden Daniels.

They achieved most of those goals this offseason, signing more than two dozen free agents before finalizing a six-player draft class on Saturday. The star of the group is linebacker Sonny Styles, the former Ohio State standout taken at No. 7 overall. The other five rookies add to position groups that needed improvement.

Washington selected receiver Antonio Williams out of Clemson in the third round (No. 71), added former Tennessee edge rusher Joshua Josephs in the fifth (147),  grabbed former Penn State running back Kaytron Allen (187) and ex-Michigan State center Matt Gulbin (209) in the sixth, and capped the group with former Rutgers quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis (223) in the seventh.

The bulk of the class is made up of true athletes. And all but one of them, Allen, spent time with the coaching staff ahead of the draft as part of the team’s group top-30 visit, which included a trip to Topgolf.

This is the second consecutive season in which the Commanders did not trade at all in the draft, choosing to stand pat with their six picks. What Washington hopes it came away with is an all-around upgrade, with more talent and depth across the board.

Best value pick

Styles may have been be the best value of the entire draft, and not just among the Commanders’ selections. The former Ohio State captain was one of the most athletic and versatile players available, and he fills a significant need for Washington as a defensive leader and playmaker.

Pre-draft projections for how the top 10 would unfold were especially erratic this year, but the chances of Styles being available at No. 7 seemed unlikely to many — including the Commanders. (The Athletic’s Dane Brugler ranked Styles as the fourth-best prospect overall.) But when receiver Carnell Tate went to the Tennessee Titans at No. 4, pass rusher Arvell Reese was selected by the New York Giants at 5 and cornerback Mansoor Delane headed to Kansas City after a trade at 6, the Commanders’ decision was practically made for them.

Styles put on a show at the NFL combine, displaying the physical traits that helped him earn All-America honors only two years after transitioning to linebacker. Washington struggled in nearly every facet on defense last year, but especially with its tackling and coverage of tight ends. With his background at safety, Styles can cover both tight ends and slot receivers, and he was one of college football’s most consistent tacklers last year.

Styles, as general manager Adam Peters said, “checks every box” for the Commanders and should be a long-time staple of their defense.

Most surprising pick

Washington came into this draft with the flexibility to add to nearly every position. Peters used free agency to fill some of the biggest roster holes so he wouldn’t have to pick for need in the draft. But he left plenty of room for improvement across the board, which meant there was little room for surprise.

If there was one pick that created skepticism, it was probably Williams, Washington’s third-round pick (No. 71) out of Clemson. The Commanders needed to add a wideout, but in Williams, they landed a player who was primarily a slot receiver in college (78 percent of pass snaps), when they already have multiple slot receivers on the roster and lack a big-bodied wideout. But the Commanders believe Williams is versatile enough to play inside and outside, citing his 2024 season as evidence. Williams was out wide for 43.0 percent of his pass snaps and deep for 22.3 of his targets that season.

Biggest question mark

It’s not about a particular player, but about the general makeup of the roster: Did the Commanders do enough to help Daniels? The third-year quarterback masked a number of the team’s roster deficiencies in his rookie season, but the combination of injuries, a tougher schedule and roster shortcomings derailed his second season. He didn’t have a deep receiving corps to begin with, and when injuries sidelined Terry McLaurin and Noah Brown for an extended period, the offense and the quarterback suffered.

Washington brought in tight end Chig Okonkwo to succeed Zach Ertz, but despite taking Williams on the second night of the draft, the offense, on paper, could still use another playmaker (or two).

Remaining needs

Washington didn’t add to its safety corps and still needs help at receiver. It could get the latter if the 49ers ever release Brandon Aiyuk. The Commanders have long been tabbed as a likely landing spot for the embattled receiver because of the team’s need at the position and his connections to Peters and Daniels. But 49ers general manager John Lynch told reporters after the draft that he didn’t plan to release Aiyuk anytime soon. So Washington may have to look to the remaining pool of veteran free agents or wait until rosters are trimmed to try to claim one off waivers.

Post-draft outlook

On paper, Washington seems to be set up well for improvement after a disappointing 5-12 run last season. Much of the team’s focus throughout the offseason was rebuilding the defense, and the Commanders found a critical piece of their long-term future there in Styles. The Commanders also bolstered their pass rush and found more depth with Josephs, a player with rare length and explosiveness.

What Washington still seems to lack is another offensive playmaker alongside Daniels and McLaurin. Maybe the Commanders will find it later in the offseason, or maybe Williams will exceed expectations and become a go-to target for Daniels.