One Trade the Commanders Should Still Be Pushing After the Draft

The 2026 NFL Draft saw more teams draft for need over positional value or best player available, and while the Washington Commanders came away from the draft with some of the best value from their picks, the roster is still incomplete.

One area of the roster where the Commanders could still use improvement is the wide receiver room, and that's after drafting Antonio Williams out of Clemson in the third round.

Williams isn't the type of receiver that many had hoped the Commanders would draft, but he will be relied upon as a check-down option for Jayden Daniels. Washington is still missing that legit WR2, whether an X or Z, to complement Terry McLaurin, which brings us back to the fact that they should trade for San Francisco 49ers' star wideout Brandon Aiyuk.

Commanders Should Still Trade For Aiyuk

The Aiyuk-49ers situation has been well covered over the past year, and while many think that if this move were going to happen, it would have happened during the NFL Draft.

That obviously did not occur, and the 49ers have now found themselves in a unique situation after not getting on bites throughout the draft. Reports have surfaced that the 49ers are still trying to trade Aiyuk, but at this point, it seems as though they are pleading for someone to come get him since interest has cooled off as teams wait for him to be released outright.

San Francisco 49ers WR Brandon Aiyu — San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk (11) Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images | Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images

Reports have also come out that Aiyuk would only restructure his contract extension for the Commanders to reunite with former collegiate teammate Jayden Daniels, making it even more of a messy situation for the 49ers trying to find a trade partner.

Aiyuk is an elite receiver with tremendous skills at all three levels. He doesn't just catch the ball and isn't a one-trick pony; he wins third downs and creates yards after the catch, which is something that the current wide receiver lacks outside of McLaurin.

The Commanders are more than in a prime position to make this trade happen. With over $49 million in cap space, getting an immediate contract extension in place wouldn't be that difficult, but the snags might arise when it comes to the compensation that 49ers' general manager John Lynch is looking to acquire in return.

That seems to be the major holdup at this point, as teams aren't willing to give up prime draft capital for a player who is high-risk and who also could be released at any moment. However, if the Commanders do view Aiyuk as a missing piece to the puzzle of becoming Super Bowl contenders, they can give up a late-round draft pick to acquire him if the 49ers are as desperate as they now seem.

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