Every Expert's Predicted Commanders First-Round Draft Pick

There are a lot of directions the Washington Commanders could go in the 2026 NFL Draft, and equally as many opinions out there about what they'll eventually do.

With the NFL Scouting Combine at full steam this week, the information is flowing more than ever, and it's starting to put experts in a position where they feel they genuinely know what teams like the Commanders are planning on doing this April.

With draft talk ramping up as free agency rapidly approaches, here's a collection of what those experts think Washington will do, or in some cases should do.

Dec 31, 2025; Arlington, TX, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes linebacker Arvell Reese (8) gets into position during the 2025 Cotton Bowl and quarterfinal game of the College Football Playoff at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

The versatile front-seven weapon

Kicking it all off with arguably the most popular mock drafter in the business, NFL.com's Daniel Jeremiah's latest effort features the Commanders drafting Ohio State Buckeyes linebacker Arvell Reese with the No. 7 overall pick.

"Reese provides Washington some explosiveness and versatility. He might be a tougher projection than some of the other pass rushers in this year’s draft, given that he split time between edge rusher and off-ball linebacker for the Buckeyes. Reese has the highest upside of the group, though," Jeremiah says in his mock.

As a hybrid rusher and off-ball linebacker, Reese projects to be the perfect Daronte Jones-type of weapon who can be used in multiple positions out of multiple looks and really provide the type of athletic leverage that will drive opposing offensive coordinators crazy.

An elite secondary difference-maker

Next up, ESPN's Matt Miller stayed at the same school but went with a different position and player, selecting safety Caleb Downs for Washington.

"There might be criticism of a team using a top-10 pick on a safety, but this draft class lacks a ton of elite top-end talent at the premium positions. And Commanders coach Dan Quinn needs to tighten up a defense that allowed a league-worst 384.0 yards per game. Downs is a difference-maker in the mold of Derwin James Jr. or Kyle Hamilton who can dictate what an offense is able to do but also be a matchup problem in multiple alignments," Miller wrote.

The best player available debate

And finally, a different approach, as Pro Football Focus didn't pick players for each team as much as they sorted out the best draft position for each top prospect and sorted them from there. At No. 7, Miami offensive tackle Francis Mauigoa wouldn't be the biggest need fit for Washington, but in this case, he'd be the best player on the board, helping to bring up that age old debate between drafting for one or the other.

"As projected in our last update, Mauigoa has been a major riser. His ADP has jumped from 17.2 to 8.5, one of the biggest climbs among MDS users. His combination of size (6-foot-6, 335 pounds), production and positional value makes him an appealing bet compared to more projection-based prospects. Mauigoa earned an 87.0 PFF pass-blocking grade in 2025 and is now the highest-drafted tackle among MDS users, surpassing Utah’s Spencer Fano," PFF said in its column.