Washington Commanders need offense with the 7th overall NFL Draft pick
After an abysmal 2025 season that ended with the team finishing 5-12, the Washington Commanders entered the 2026 offseason with two things going in their favor: a ton of cap room and a top-10 draft pick.
The Commanders signed 18 free agents this offseason (including their own), with a big focus on the defense.
The team handed edge rusher Odafe Oweh a four-year deal worth $96 million, Leo Chenal a 3-year $24.75 million deal, and also added to their interior defensive line and secondary.
Despite their spending spree, the team still ranks second in the league with about $50 million in cap space left, according to Spotrac.
But free agency (for the most part) is behind them; the NFL Draft on Thursday, April 23, is right in front of them.
There is a faction of fans who want the team to go defense with their 7th overall pick, no matter what. And for good reason.
The Commanders allowed 26.5 points per game (27th) and 384 total yards per game (dead last). They forced the second-fewest turnovers in the league, and the passing defense averaged 242.5 yards per game (28th)
The team could use more secondary help, so Caleb Downs, out of Ohio State, could be a great option. Mansoor Delane, out of LSU, is considered the top cornerback in the draft and has been linked ot the team in recent days.
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The team spent so heavily on edge rushers and linebackers in free agency that I don't think Rueben Bain (Miami), Sonny Styles (Ohio State) or David Bailey (Texas Tech) are viable for the team in the first round.
That leaves running back, and consensus best player in the draft, Jeremiyah Love (Notre Dame), and wide receivers Carnell Tate (Ohio State) and Jordyn Tyson (Arizona State) as viable options with the seventh pick.
A month ago, I wanted Tate. But the closer we get to the draft the possibility of drafting Love is almost too enticing to pass up.
If he is available at 7, and that is a big if, I think you have to take him. The Commanders have a pretty good running back already in Jacory Croskey-Merritt, but Jeremiyah Love is a different breed.
Depending on whether you trust the reports, Love isn't making it past the fifth pick. If he is drafted before they pick, Carnell Tate has to be the choice.
Some people are scared away by his 4.53 40-yard dash time at the NFL Scouting Combine, but Ohio State is Wide Receiver University.
Between Jaxson Smith-Njigba, Marvin Harrison Jr, Chris Olave, Garret Wilson, Jameson Williams, and the Commanders' own Terry McLaurin, Ohio State University has proved to be a breeding ground for Pro Bowl-level wide receiver talent.
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This story was originally published April 23, 2026 at 12:09 PM.