With every day that passes, we get one day closer to the start of the 2026 NFL Draft. As we tick off the days on our calendar, we at EssentiallySports have been creating a seven-round mock draft for every team until we cover all 32 NFL teams. We’ve already highlighted the teams with the first six picks in the draft, so now it’s time to focus on the team with the seventh pick: the Washington Commanders.

But before we get into the mock, if you want more in-depth NFL coverage from an NFL expert who has been around the league for 20+ years, make sure you check out the latest episode of the DraftCast with Tony Pauline.

Tony's Top Prospects For QB For COMMANDERS

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The Commanders have quite a few needs to fill in the draft, so here’s my latest 7-round mock draft for Washington.

Round 1, Pick 7: RB Jeremiyah Love

It’s hard to find a player more explosive than Jeremiyah Love. A lot of people have him as the best overall player in this entire draft, but since he’s a running back, he’s probably going to slide a bit further than he should. He’ll be in play for Tennessee and New York at picks four and five, but I think the most realistic landing spot for him is Washington at seven.

If the Commanders land Love, their offense will instantly transform. They actually finished in the top five in both rushing yards per game and rushing yards per attempt, but Jacory Croskey-Merritt had just seven runs of 15+ yards with a 25.2 percent breakaway rate, which ranked 27th and 28th in the NFL, respectively, last season.

Washington needs a home run hitter on offense. I could see them going with Carnell Tate here, but—spoiler alert—I had Tate coming off the board to the Browns at pick six in their 7-round mock draft, so Love is the clear pick here if Washington wants an offensive playmaker.

Round 3, Pick 71: CB Davison Igbinosun

Not having a second-rounder really hurts Washington, but they come back in the third round and find themselves a really nice cornerback in Davison Igbinosun. I wouldn’t be shocked if they go with Mansoor Delane in round one, but I feel like they’re going to go offense, so cornerback has to be the priority in round three.

Ever since he stepped onto the field at Ohio State three years ago, Igbinosun has been lockdown. As a sophomore, he allowed a 51.4 percent completion rate, and it’s only dropped since. In 2025, he gave up just 16 catches on 39 targets (41 percent) for 167 yards and no touchdowns with one pick and five pass breakups. On top of that, he’s 6-foot-2, 195 pounds, which is basically the perfect frame for a cornerback.

The only things holding Igbinosun back are that he’s not a great athlete, and he had a ton of penalties called against him. He’s definitely good enough to play in the NFL, but he’s not an elite athlete. He also had 27 penalties called against him in four seasons, including 13 in 2024. If they can coach that out of him, he’ll be a really good cornerback in the league.

TRADE

At the start of day three, I made a trade with the Detroit Lions, shipping off pick 147, a 2027 4th-round pick, and a 2027 7th-round pick for picks 118 and 181.

Round 4, Pick 118: DE Derrick Moore

Derrick Moore has been an efficient pass rusher for his entire collegiate career, but he really broke out in 2025 with a career-high 41 pressures and 10 sacks. I know the Commanders went out and signed K’Lavon Chaisson and Odafe Oweh in free agency, but Chaisson is only on a one-year deal. There’s no guarantee he’ll be around after 2026, so finding someone who could potentially replace him as a start in 2027 should be high on their priority list.

At 6 feet 4 with 33 3/8 inch arms, Moore has the ideal size and frame you want in a pass rusher. He’s not incredibly quick off the line and he isn’t a great run defender, which will tank his draft stock a bit, but if you need someone to strictly rush the passer, there aren’t many other players in this range that can do it better than Moore.

Round 5, Pick 181: WR Jeff Caldwell

Jeff Caldwell wasn’t on a ton of casual fans’ radar heading into the NFL Combine, but after a stellar showing in Indianapolis, he needs to be on everyone’s radar.

Caldwell is 6 feet 5, 260 pounds, and runs a 4.31-second 40-yard dash. Not to mention he has a 42-inch vertical and an 11-foot, 2-inch broad jump to pair with it. So why the hell is he a fifth-round pick? Well, he’s not super polished. He needs to build his route tree and become a more diverse weapon, but there’s no reason a team shouldn’t take a shot on him in the middle rounds.

Can you imagine a speedy weapon like Caldwell alongside Terry McLaurin on the outside and my next pick in the slot? Jayden Daniels would be very happy.

Round 6, Pick 187: WR Lewis Bond

I’m doubling down on wide receiver. The Commanders have a huge need out wide, and as I said, Caldwell isn’t a super polished prospect. He may not be a day-one starter, but Lewis Bond could very well be one.

Bond is 5 feet 11, 190 pounds, and has a good amount of experience playing in the slot. He’s small, speedy, and quick and has put up over 600 yards of production in each of the last three seasons. He was snubbed from the NFL Combine, but he is still on every team’s radar as a late-round pick.

Bond’s route running and experience could help him get on the field as soon as week one. The Commanders don’t really have a great slot option with Deebo Samuel possibly leaving, so grabbing Bond in round six would make a ton of sense.

Round 6, Pick 209: CB Jaylon Guilbeau

I know I hit on the cornerback position earlier, but it’s another one I’m doubling down on. They need depth at the corner, and Guilbeau can provide exactly that.

During his time at Texas, Guilbeau played outside corner, but I’d expect him to move into the slot at the NFL level. He’s a bit undersized at 190 pounds, but he’s 5-foot-11 and can move pretty well side to side. He is coming off a pretty poor season where he allowed four touchdowns, but nobody you’re going to find this late is going to be perfect.

Round 7, Pick 223: DT Zane Durant

Zane Durant is a really good defensive tackle. He’s been a really solid pass rusher for his entire career, totaling 10 sacks in 781 pass rush snaps from the interior of the defensive line, and he’s a really solid run defender. His main deficiency is his size.

At 6-foot-1, Durant is incredibly small for a defensive tackle, but he is 294 pounds, which is still small but not as bad considering his height. His small frame lets him slip between gaps and get off the line quickly, but that may not work as well in the league as it did in college.

At this point in the draft, you’re betting on upside, and Durant has a lot of it. They’re just going to have to find a way to maximize his skillset at the next level.