Intriguing Commanders 2026 NFL draft prospects who have must-see matchups during Week 3 of the college football season
Keep an eye on these 2026 NFL draft prospects for the Commanders this weekend.
The Washington Commanders have started the season with a 1-1 record and already have some glaring needs on the roster, especially after key injuries during the Thursday night game against the Green Bay Packers.
It’s never too early to be scouting college players for the 2026 NFL draft, especially on a weekend off from playing, and there are a lot of matchups to watch that we can add to the previous weeks I’ve already written about.
Here’s a look at the players I have my eyes on for the Commanders during the third week of college football.
WR Makai Lemon – USC
I’ve been focusing on wide receivers a lot in this series, and the trend continues with USC’s Makai Lemon getting his first Big Ten test this season. He enters the matchup against the Purdue Boilermakers as the top graded wide receiver on PFF so far this season. Lemon already has insane numbers to start the 2025 season with 11 catches for 248 yards and two touchdowns. That’s 22.5 yards per catch.
He’s also forced eight missed tackles already and averages almost 14 yards after the catch. Lemon is 5-foot-11 and 195lbs and a big-time playmaker on offense. He can do it all and would be a weapon on the Commanders’ offense. USC has only played Missouri State and Georgia Southern so far, so we get to see what Lemon does against a Big Ten foe, Purdue.
ED Cashius Howell – Texas A&M
The Commanders need a playmaker from the edge. They need their Micah Parsons caliber of a player in the draft, and Cashius Howell has the speed to strike fear into quarterbacks. Texas A&M has a star in Cashius Howell, who is already close to matching his production of four sacks last season. Howell did something last week I’ve never seen before, when he had three straight sacks on one single drive.
He single-handedly ended a whole drive with just sacks. This week, Texas A&M travels to Notre Dame, and Howell wants to repeat what Miami’s Rueben Bain Jr. did against them in Week 1. Howell has three sacks and a 26.5% pass rush win rate against UTSA and Utah State, and he gets a major opportunity against a top-10 team in a primetime game.
RB Jamal Haynes – Georgia Tech
I’ve been a big fan of Georgia Tech running back Jamal Haynes since the start of last season, and the hype still lives on. The Commanders need another running back, and someone who can do it all, and that’s what Haynes is. He’s a great pass blocker, a violent runner with great acceleration, and a threat in the passing game as well.
Georgia Tech is a very run-heavy team, and defenses know they won’t throw it nearly as much. They ran the ball 75 times in the first two games with only 50 passes. Haynes is the lead back, and he honestly never needs to come off the field. Just get the ball in his hands, and he’s capable of turning nothing into something. He ran the ball 25 times for 157 yards, and 104 have come after contact through two games. Haynes can really add to his resume as Georgia Tech hosts 12th 12th-ranked Clemson with a legit defensive line.
There are a lot of fun matchups this weekend, and I decided to pick some underrated names you may not have heard of if you don’t watch a ton of college football. I’m watching these three players to make a statement and add to their draft profiles for us to look back on in April, and they could be potential prospects for the Commanders.
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