2026 NFL mock draft has Washington Commanders adding an explosive weapon for Jayden Daniels
Field Yates has the Commanders adding a new WR for Jayden Daniels by selecting Carnell Tate with the No. 7 overall pick.
The NFL offseason is in full swing, and the Washington Commanders will be one of the main teams under a microscope with a make-or-break season in 2026.
The team has many decisions to make during free agency, which is under a month away, and then the team will focus on the 2026 NFL Draft. NFL mock drafts are ramping up now that the season is over, and the Commanders will have plenty of options with the No. 7 overall pick in the draft.
One NFL Draft expert has the Commanders looking over defensive needs to land a new wide receiver for Jayden Daniels in David Blough’s new scheme.
Field Yates has the Commanders taking Ohio State WR Carnell Tate with the No. 7 overall pick
Free agency will determine the direction the Commanders will take, but it’s definitely a defensive free agency and NFL Draft class this offseason. The Commanders could fill in their biggest needs on defense in free agency and take the best player on the board with the No. 7 overall pick, and that’s what Field Yates is predicting.
In Yates’ latest 2026 NFL mock draft with Mel Kiper Jr, he has the Commanders passing on Rueben Bain Jr. for Ohio State WR Carnell Tate in the first round.
Kiper Jr. debates that Bain Jr. and Jeremiyah Love could be the pick for them at No. 7 overall, but Yates is locked on Tate for the Commanders. Yates argues that Daniels needs a wide receiver who can stretch the field on the outside and create explosive plays, which is what Tate did in 2025 with 17 yards per catch on the season.
Should the Commanders take Carnell Tate in the first round?
Tate is a pro-ready prospect, and the Commanders have to hit on whoever they take at No. 7 overall. They shouldn’t go into the NFL Draft selecting players based on needs, but instead by looking for blue-chip prospects to build the future around. Tate is one of those players at 6-3, 195 pounds, and a weapon for Daniels and the long-term future of the offense.
Tate finished 2025 with zero drops and nine touchdowns for the Buckeyes. He’s as reliable as they come, and a savvy route-runner for his size. Even when he doesn’t get separation in his routes, Tate dominates at the catch point with an 85.7% contested catch rate.
The one argument against Tate is that the Commanders will have plenty of opportunities to add an outside wide receiver before the draft, in Romeo Doubs and Brandon Aiyuk, among others. Also, Tate was the first WR off the board, so would you take him over Jordyn Tyson and Makaki Lemon? I personally have Lemon over Tate by a very slim margin, who would be just as explosive as a slot WR, but over Tyson only because of his injury-riddled season.
With that being said, selecting Tate with the No. 7 overall pick is still a great selection, and would instantly add a top player in a shaky draft class to be a building block for the roster, which Washington lacks.
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