The Washington Commanders have many difficult decisions to make in free agency to fill out their roster before the 2026 NFL Draft begins.

Those additions and subtractions to the roster will play a massive hand in who they select in the draft, as they look for more franchise blocks to build around. The Commanders need to find superstar players on defense, since they have none on the roster.

The NFL Draft has many defensive prospects for the Commanders to consider with the No. 7 overall pick. One recent mock draft has the Commanders landing the steal of the first round with a key defender.

2026 NFL mock draft has the Commanders taking Arvell Reese with the No. 7 overall pick

The Commanders will be on the clock with the No. 7 overall pick, and there will be a handful of top prospects that can fall to them. The board has many ways that it can fall, but the latest 2026 NFL mock draft by expert Daniel Jeremiah has the Commanders landing Ohio State LB Arvell Reese.

In Daniel Jeremiah's (@MoveTheSticks) Mock Draft 2.0, the #Commanders select Arvell Reese from OSU.

This would be an absolute steal for WSH.

Recently, I've been rewatching OSU's games to get a feel on prospects.

Although Reese faded late in the season, he was ELECTRIC early… pic.twitter.com/zwlvzWoj76

— George Carmi (@Gcarmi21) February 17, 2026

Jeremiah has David Bailey going No. 2 overall to the New York Jets, Rueben Bain Jr. going No. 4 overall to the Tennessee Titans, and WR Carnell Tate going to the New York Giants at No. 5 overall. Reese fell to the Commanders at No. 7 overall with Caleb Downs, Sonny Styles, Jeremiyah Love, and Mansoor Delane still on the board.

The Commanders taking Reese would be a dream scenario with him being projected as a top-3 pick for the last for months. He would be the perfect fit for Daronte Jones’ new defensive scheme, no matter how they use him.

Why the Commanders should take LB Arvell Reese

Reese is listed as both an EDGE and a LB in the draft, and it’s because he can play both spots exceptionally well. He’s a 6-4, 245-pound defender who can get pressure off the EDGE and fly around in the box as a LB.

Arvell Reese is usually labeled as an EDGE, so that's how I watched him initially.

I just watched him in the lens as a LB…

He is absolutely incredible. So much so that he can absolutely be taken 2nd overall in this class as a majority off-ball LB. Best in 6+ years.

— Hayden Winks (@HaydenWinks) February 11, 2026

Reese might have the highest upside of all of the pass rushers in the NFL Draft, and we saw how Micah Parsons thrived from his LB role to a true EDGE in the NFL. He’s only a junior as well, so the best is ahead for him at just 20 years old. No matter where you line him up, let Reese rush the quarterback or come downhill in the run game, and you’ll have a star defender for years to come.

Let Arvell Reese rush the passer pic.twitter.com/fmLrUj09B5

— Drew Beatty (@IronCityFilm) February 11, 2026

Reese is an athletic freak who plays with burst off the line of scrimmage, which helped him finish with a 24.5% pass rush win rate in 2025. The Commanders need someone who can rush the QB as an EDGE, but also fill in as a complete LB with instincts and a physical playing style. Jones will decide where to play him, but Reese can be a cornerstone for the Commanders’ defense.