Commanders 3-Round 2026 NFL Mock Draft: Washington trades back with QB-needy team and loads up on playmakers
Jayden Daniels gets a playmaker while Adam Peters collects another top-100 pick.
The Washington Commanders hold the seventh overall pick in the draft after going 3-8 with six more games left to go this season.
The draft order will shake up down the final stretch of the season, and so will the draft boards as the college football season heads into its final weeks. The Commanders have made many changes on defense, and many more are needed this offseason. General manager Adam Peters has a long list of needs on both sides of the ball, and free agency will play a major factor as well.
The good news is that the Commanders will likely finish with a high enough pick that Peters can make some quality moves in the draft, whether that’s staying put and taking an elite talent, or trading back with a QB-needy team to land another playmaker as I did in this mock draft.
Washington Commanders 3-Round 2026 NFL Mock Draft
Round 1, Pick 9 (via Arizona Cardinals): Makai Lemon, WR, USC
In this mock draft, the Commanders trade back two spots with the Arizona Cardinals, and trade the seventh overall pick in exchange for the ninth overall pick, pick No. 71 in 2026, and a 2027 third-round pick.
Moving back two spots allows the Commanders to take the top player on their board, with the Cardinals taking a QB, and the Cincinnati Bengals going with offensive line. Jayden Daniels gets a major boost with USC wide receiver Makai Lemon, who has an argument for WR1 in the draft.
Lemon is an elite playmaker and has the ceiling of Jaxon Smith-Njigba with how he plays. He lines up primarily in the slot, but also has 211 snaps out wide so far this season. Lemon is 5-11, 195 pounds, and can jump over defenders to high point passes at the catch point.
The Commanders can line him up anywhere, let him motion across the field, and become a nightmare matchup for anyone. There’s no doubt he’s one of the safest players in the draft, and a true Day 1 option to produce immediately. He’s an elite route-runner who has crisp cuts and uses leverage to get into blind spots and create separation.
Round 3, Pick 71 (via Arizona Cardinals): Dani Dennis-Sutton, EDGE, Penn State
This season hasn’t gone as planned for Penn State, which was a heavy favorite to win the National Championship, but it still has lethal talent as always. Dani Dennis-Sutton has been one of my favorite defenders in the country as the Nittany Lions continue to pump out pass rushers like Micah Parsons, Chop Robinson, and Abdul Carter.
Dennis-Sutton is a high motor playmaker on the edge with a knack for getting to the QB and stopping the run at a high level.
Dennis-Sutton is a 6-5, 265-pound freak on the line who can change the game with one play. He has 44 pressures and five sacks, still in a season marked by many drastic changes. He has a 16.6% pass rush win rate and an even better run stop grade on PFF.
Getting him at pick No. 71 is an insane value after a “down” season for a first-round talent like him. The Commanders need to finally address the defensive end position, especially if Dorance Armstrong is out for the start of next year with his knee injury.
Round 3, Pick 73: Kamari Ramsey, Safety, USC
The Commanders continue to add playmakers on defense, and Kamari Ramsey would be a huge piece in the secondary that the new defensive coordinator can use in many ways. He’s played at slot corner, free safety, and in the box this season at 6 feet, 200 pounds. Ramsey is the perfect blend of a thumping run-stopper, who can also fly around in coverage and make a play on the ball.
Ramsey has allowed only 175 yards in coverage this season, with an elite 3.3 percent missed tackle rate, recording only one missed tackle. The Commanders need everything he brings as a sure tackler, fast and physical defender in coverage, and the ability to play in multiple spots like slot corner and safety.
Quan Martin’s future is up in the air now, and nobody knows if Mike Sainristil will stay inside next year or go back outside.
Washington Commanders News
Jayden Daniels could likely get his wish this offseason as Commanders will be big favorites to land Brandon Aiyuk
Jayden Daniels could finally be reunited with Brandon Aiyuk.
