Matt Johnson
The Washington Commanders have the seventh overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, putting them in a strong position to land one of this year’s blue-chip prospects. As draft day nears, more information is coming out about what Washington might do in Round 1.
In his latest 2026 NFL mock draft, ESPN.com‘s Peter Schrager shared his belief that the Commanders will be looking to add to their defense in the first round. It’s worth nothing, however, that doesn’t necessarily mean it will happen with the seventh overall pick.
That’s because Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated reported that Washington is one of the teams actively looking to move down from its current spot. The idea, of course, being to acquire added draft capital while still coming away with a potential high-end starter from Round 1.
If Washington were to trade down from the seventh spot, it’s possible a team like the Kansas City Chiefs (No. 9 overall pick) or Cincinnati Bengals (No. 10 overall pick) might want to move up ahead of the New Orleans Saints for an edge rusher.
Trading down would likely provide the Commanders with an additional draft pick on Day 2, potentially giving them a Week 1 starter defensively or someone who can eventually play a meaningful role later in the season.
The Commanders could hypothetically move down from the No. 7 pick into the No. 9–12 range and still come away with All-American safety Caleb Downs, LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane or potentially Miami Hurricanes edge rusher Rueben Bain Jr. However, given the number of teams that want to move down, pulling off the deal will be difficult.
