{"id":853371,"date":"2026-04-04T14:55:17","date_gmt":"2026-04-04T14:55:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/853371\/"},"modified":"2026-04-04T14:55:17","modified_gmt":"2026-04-04T14:55:17","slug":"2026-washington-commanders-mock-draft-less-than-three-weeks-away","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/853371\/","title":{"rendered":"2026 Washington Commanders Mock Draft – Less Than Three Weeks Away"},"content":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s a huge April in Washington for all involved. Following a free agency period that leaned into adding physicality, defensive multiplicity, and most importantly, youth, the front office\u2019s focus now shifts to it\u2019s six picks in the draft. With holes still evident on either side of the ball, prioritizing impact defenders early and high-upside playmakers late was a focus in this 7-round exercise.<\/p>\n

With all things considered including scheme fit, projection, and information from sources around football, here\u2019s my one, and only, full 7-round mock for the Washington Commanders just a few weeks away from draft night:<\/p>\n

Round 1, No. 7 overall \u2014 SAF Caleb Downs, Ohio State<\/p>\n

Downs is the type of prospect who alters how you call a game. One of the most instinctual athletes at the safety position in some time, his impact will span all three levels \u2014 a downhill enforcer in the run game, a fluid and instinctive coverage defender on the back end, and a matchup weapon in the slot.<\/p>\n

Under Jones, Downs becomes the flex piece that unlocks everything. Whether rotating into single-high, buzzing into underneath zones, or matching tight ends (which does remain an area for improvement), he elevates the entire unit.<\/p>\n

Pairing him with a front seven that now includes Odafe Oweh, Leo Chenal, K\u2019Lavon Chaisson, and interior stalwarts like Daron Payne and Javon Kinlasw creates a far more aggressive identity, and his presence also benefits ascending pieces like Trey Amos at corner and Jordan Magee now in year three.<\/p>\n

Immediate impact: Defensive tone-setter and centerpiece of a multiple-look secondary.<\/p>\n

Round 3, No. 71 overall \u2014 WR Ted Hurst, Georgia State<\/p>\n

Hurst remains one of the more intriguing Day 2 options in a loaded positional group.<\/p>\n

Hurst, a 6\u20193\u201d presence on the outside, turned heads all week at the Senior Bowl with his ability to consistently separate against Power Four corners. As a guy who dominated lower level competition, his ability to showcase varied releases, nuanced route-running, strong hands in traffic, and an advanced understanding of leverage under the spotlight of the NFL showcased a player that shouldn\u2019t last long on Day 2.<\/p>\n

He\u2019s not just a size-speed projection, either. He\u2019s polished. And in Washington, he adds a reliable boundary presence and complements the existing receiver room with a skill set built to impact all three levels of an offense while also expanding the ground game with his ability to block. The Commanders have met with Hurst multiple times<\/a> in the process, as well.<\/p>\n

Immediate impact: Rotational X-receiver with starting upside early in his career.<\/p>\n

Round 5, No. 147 overall \u2014 EDGE Caden Curry, Ohio State<\/p>\n

A powerful, high-motor edge defender, Curry brings a strong anchor in the run game with the ability to set the edge consistently right away. Now, his first step isn\u2019t elite, but his hands, leverage, and effort allow him to collapse pockets and create disruption.<\/p>\n

What stands out, however, is his versatility. He\u2019s comfortable reducing inside on passing downs or playing as a traditional end in base looks \u2014 a key trait in Daronte Jones\u2019 system that values alignment flexibility.<\/p>\n

With Oweh and others in place, Curry adds a physical rotational presence who can wear on offensive lines as games churn along. But don\u2019t disregard his pop as a pass rusher after the praise I gave for his ability as a run defender, as Curry amassed 12 sacks and 32 QB hits\/hurries in 2025. He\u2019s got some Ryan Kerrigan to his game.<\/p>\n

As far as connection between the two parties, Washington met privately with Curry following Ohio State\u2019s Pro Day.<\/p>\n

Immediate impact: Early-down edge setter with rotational pass-rush upside.<\/p>\n

Round 6, No. 187 overall \u2014 iDL Jordan van den Berg, Georgia Tech<\/p>\n

If you can over the next few weeks, take a few minutes of your day and watch some tape of van den Berg, a native of Johannesburg, South Africa.<\/p>\n

At 300 pounds, van den Berg is a twitched up interior defender with quick hands and impressive lateral agility who flashes the ability to shoot gaps and disrupt blocking schemes, particularly as a vertical, penetrating one-tech.<\/p>\n

In D.C., he\u2019ll enter a competitive room with Daron Payne, Javon Kinlaw, Johnny Newton (poised for a big 2026), and veteran addition Charles Omenihu, but that\u2019s exactly where he belongs \u2014 a developmental piece who can rotate in and grow without pressure.<\/p>\n

His motor and explosiveness give him a real chance to carve out a role as a disruptive rotational piece.<\/p>\n

Immediate impact: Developmental interior disruptor with rotational flashes.<\/p>\n

Round 6, No. 209 overall \u2014 CB Andre Fuller, Toledo<\/p>\n

A classic late-round traits bet in the secondary at 6\u20192\u201d, 202 lbs.<\/p>\n

Fuller brings length, physicality, and competitive toughness at the catch point, and thrives in press-man situations using his frame to disrupt timing and force receivers off their path.<\/p>\n

While his technique and transitions need refinement, the raw tools are there as he allowed just 22 of the 58 targets thrown his way to be completed in 2025 (37.9% comp pct). He fits a mold of corners that Washington has shown interest in during the Adam Peters era.<\/p>\n

He\u2019ll compete for rotational reps early and contribute on special teams while developing consistency in coverage.<\/p>\n

Immediate impact: Depth boundary corner with special teams value.<\/p>\n

Round 7, No. 223 overall \u2014 WR Dillon Bell, Georgia<\/p>\n

Bell is a dynamic, physical athlete with legitimate inside-out versatility. At Georgia, he showcased his ability to line up across the formation \u2014 outside, in the slot, even in gadget roles \u2014 and produce in a pro-style system against elite SEC competition.<\/p>\n

He\u2019s tough after the catch, competitive at the catch point, and offers more burst than he\u2019s often credited for. While his route tree is still developing, the traits are exactly what you want to bet on late.<\/p>\n

Landing him here in this exercise, despite mid-Day 3 grades from teams, is tremendous value.<\/p>\n

Immediate impact: Developmental weapon with upside as a versatile offensive piece.<\/p>\n

With just six picks, Washington maximizes value by landing:<\/p>\n

A defensive cornerstone in DownsA polished, high-upside receiver in HurstPhysical, versatile depth across the defensive frontLate-round offensive explosiveness with Bell<\/p>\n

Overall, the class aligns cleanly with the Commanders\u2019 evolving identity \u2014 fast, physical, and flexible \u2014 while adding both immediate contributors and long-term building blocks.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"It\u2019s a huge April in Washington for all involved. Following a free agency period that leaned into adding…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":853372,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[2069],"tags":[427,7,4002,6,15,855,111,113384,1267,2480],"class_list":{"0":"post-853371","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-washington-commanders","8":"tag-commanders","9":"tag-football","10":"tag-mock-draft","11":"tag-nfl","12":"tag-nfl-draft","13":"tag-washington","14":"tag-washington-commanders","15":"tag-washington-commanders-mock-draft","16":"tag-washington-commanders-draft","17":"tag-washingtoncommanders"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nfl\/116347019485548087","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/853371","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=853371"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/853371\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/853372"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=853371"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=853371"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=853371"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}