Which Commanders Rookies Will Have the Biggest Impact in 2026?

The Washington Commanders went into the 2026 NFL Draft with six draft picks and several needs, but ultimately, they were always going to take the best player available, and they did when they selected Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles. While it's the worst-kept secret since everyone knew Jayden Daniels would start in year one, Styles will be a day-one starter. Let's take a closer look at which draft picks will have the biggest impact in 2026.

Washington Commanders 2026 Draft Class

Round 1, No. 7: Sonny Styles, LB, Ohio State
Round 3, No. 71: Antonio Williams, WR, Clemson
Round 5, No. 147: Joshua Josephs, EDGE, Tennessee
Round 6, No. 187: Kaytron Allen, RB, Penn State
Round 6, No. 209: Matt Gulbin, C, Michigan State
Round 7, No. 223: Athan Kaliakmanis, QB, Rutgers

The Day-One Anchor: LB Sonny Styles

When Commanders GM Adam Peters selected LB Sonny Styles in April's NFL Draft, the franchise effectively added a foundational piece to the middle of Dan Quinn's defense that will start day one. Syles played safety (23 games) for his first two years at Ohio State, recording 62 tackles, 5.5 for loss, and two sacks. After shifting to linebacker in his junior year, Styles played 30 games at the new spot and added 182 tackles, 17 for loss, 8 deflected passes, 7 sacks, and an interception over his last two years as a Buckeye. Styles was named a 1st Team All-American in 2025 and was a Butkus Award Semifinalist twice.

Expect Styles to have an immediate impact on the Commanders' defense this fall as the replacement for Bobby Wagner in the lineup.

Sonny Styles All-22 Film: #OhioState vs #Texas 2024 #RaiseHail pic.twitter.com/BRaf3tOzdN
— Philip Hughes (@NFLFanzone) June 7, 2026

The Slot Solution: WR Antonio Williams

In the third round of the draft, Washington was able to add a piece to David Blough's "basketball roster" at WR when the team selected Clemson receiver, Antonio Williams. During his four years at Clemson (43 games), Williams caught 208 passes for 2,336 yards and 21 touchdowns. He also added 25 carries for 187 yards and two touchdowns on the ground.

Williams should be viewed as the clear-cut leader at the slot position heading into training camp this summer. The team does not have another player with his particular skill set on the roster, which should bode well for his chances of making a major impact in year one.

The Training Camp Sleeper: RB Kaytron Allen

Running back Kaytron Allen has a real chance of being the biggest steal and surprise of the 2026 NFL Draft in terms of overall value. Why, you might ask? Allen is the all-time career rushing leader at Penn State, which is impressive given the school's history (he surpassed former Washington Redskins RB Evan Royster's 3,932 yards). In 54 career games as a Nittany Lion, Allen gained 4,180 yards on 769 carries (5.4 a carry) and had 39 touchdowns. He also added 70 receptions for 490 yards and 4 touchdowns receiving.

Allen is set to make the running back position interesting in camp this summer, along with a few others currently on the Commanders roster. He's a physical runner who could couple quite well with quarterback Jayden Daniels in David Blough's vision of a play-action offense designed to protect his signal caller. Allen could be the biggest sleeper to keep an eye on in training camp.

The Rotational Length: DE Joshua Josephs

Daronte Jones' vision for his defense is one of confusion, where opposing offenses know pressure is coming, but have no clue where it will come from. Mixed into that will ultimately be a rotation of edge rushers, including Tennessee's DE Joshua Josephs. Just how many snaps Josephs gets as a rookie depends on several variables, including not only his performance in camp, but others as well. His elite length (arms are 34 1/4 inches, nearly 7-foot wingspan, 83 7/8 inches) and high-win pass rush rate certainly signal a player with the frame built to breakout at the next level.

In 48 games as a Vol, he recorded 104 tackles, 22 for loss, to go along with 9.5 sacks, 9 deflected passes, 4 fumble recoveries, and a defensive touchdown.

New #Commnders EDGE Joshua Josephs is a STEAL at #147 pic.twitter.com/rqEtrZxxwH
— brandon (@JayDanielsMVP) April 25, 2026

The Interior Depth: OL Matt Gulbin

Matt Gulbin appeared in 51 games at Michigan State. He adds depth to the interior and gives the team a young option to build on behind Nick Allegretti, who will enter camp this year as the starting center. We'll get a good idea where he's at come preseason. Look for Gulbin to get most of his work on special teams, barring injury, of course.

No Immediate Pressure: QB Athan Kaliakmanis

There is exactly zero pressure on QB Athan Kaliakmanis to perform outside of holding a clipboard or acting as the opposing QB in practice once the season starts this year. Chances are, he'll spend the entire year either on the practice squad (most likely) or tucked away on the backend of the roster with Daniels and Marcus Mariota entrenched in their respective spots as the starter and backup, respectively. Unless the season is a complete disaster, don't expect to see anything from Kaliakmanis outside of preseason.

While undrafted free agents (UDFA's) are almost always long shots, Washington also signed several of them. Iowa kicker Drew Stevens has the best chance of making the roster out of everyone in the group. Stevens, who is widely considered the best kicker in Hawkeye history, was 76 of 95 (80%) and 124 of 126 in extra point kicks in his 53 games at Iowa.

Washington Commanders UDFAs:

Fred Davis II, CB, Northwestern
Quentin Moore, TE, Washington
Jeffrey M’ba, DT, SMU
Chris Hilton Jr, WR, LSU
Jaden Bradley, WR, UNLV
Robert Henry Jr, RB, UTSA
Malik Spencer, S, Michigan State
Tanoa Togiai, OG, Utah
Drew Stevens, K, Iowa

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