Commander Country

Commanders take a loss even after beating rival Eagles

Despite beating their rival Philadelphia Eagles, the Washington Commanders still suffered a loss that could impact their upcoming season.
Feb 25, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Washington Commanders general manager Adam Peters Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Feb 25, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Washington Commanders general manager Adam Peters Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

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The Washington Commanders were able to battle back and defeat their NFC East rivals, the Philadelphia Eagles, in the regular season finale 24-17. While the win was nice to have as the season came to a close, it was on the backs of the Eagles, not playing their starters.

Even though the win was sweet in the mouths of fans and the team, the Commanders know that there is much to take care of this offseason to return to themselves to last year's caliber of a team.

One way in being able to do is through the draft, but the Commanders suffered a loss there after their win over the Eagles and the New York Giants win over the Dallas Cowboys.

Commanders win, but lose first round draft pick ground

Dan Quin
Nov 13, 2025; Madrid, Spain; Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Commanders get No. 7 overall pick

With the win over the Eagles and the Giants' win over the Cowboys, the Commanders weren't able to creep their way into the top-five picks of the 2026 NFL Draft. As reported, Washington will pick 7th.

Even though it is not overly concerning not making it into the top five picks of this upcoming NFL Draft, it would have been nice. Picking two spots later shouldn't change the approach in the draft either.

The Commanders will be one of the more inactive teams once again this offseason, with a large portion set to enter free agency, but they can make up some numbers by hitting in the draft. Getting a player of elite ability on defense would likely be the most sought-after by the Commanders in their spot, but it will also come down to what they decide to prioritize in free agency.

The defense is an obvious play where the Commanders will need improvement, but focusing on the offensive line will also be key, with starters going down to injury this past season. It's also worth mentioning that the running back room could look a lot different than it did to begin this season.

There are plenty of options for the Commanders at their spot, and they could even look to utilize the pick in a trade if they have someone they don't want to pass up.

Yes, it would have been nice to get a top-five pick in the upcoming draft, but ultimately, a win here seems bigger for the future of this team. And now, it all lies on the shoulders of general manager Adam Peters and company to go out and get the job done.

READ MORE: Commanders offense doomed by coordinator's fatal habit

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Caleb Skinner
CALEB SKINNER

Caleb is from Nashville, TN, and graduated from Florida State University in 2018 with majors in Sociology and History. He has previously written for an FSU outlet and started covering the Buccaneers in March of 2022 while co-hosting the Hear the Cannons podcast. He expanded his role with GamedayMedia by covering the Houston Texans and Washington Commanders in April of 2024. You can follow Caleb on Twitter @chsnole

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