Commanders face massive staff changes that will impact their decisions in the 2026 NFL Draft
The Commanders lose their director of college scouting after 24 years with the team, and they need a replacement heading into the 2026 NFL Draft.
It’s officially NFL Draft season, and the Washington Commanders will be looking to add talent to the roster and fix a lot of holes.
The team will get an up-close look at some of the best prospects in the draft at the Senior Bowl, but the staff will be much different from what it has in the past. As the organization reaches a crucial part of the offseason where they continue to evaluate and gather information on prospects, one major change has happened that will impact their decisions.
The Commanders’ longest tenured member of their scouting department is headed to an AFC team after 24 years in Washington.
The Commanders lose their director of college scouting, Tim Gribble
The Commanders are hitting an important time of the offseason where they’re building their big board of draft prospects and narrowing down the players that would fit the team the best. Tim Gribble has been the director of college scouting in Washington over the last five years, but with the team’s scouting department for 24 years, and he’s headed to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
A team’s director of college scouting is responsible for many roles, such as helping build the big board, overseeing area and national scouts, and directing scouting for the All-Star games and the NFL Combine. This is an important role that needs to be filled by the Commanders very soon, especially with the Senior Bowl starting on Monday.
The Commanders have to nail their 2026 NFL Draft selections
The Commanders only have six picks in the 2026 NFL Draft, and knowing who to pick and which prospects fit the team better is an important part of the process. Having a fresh face in Washington could help bring newer techniques and thoughts from the outside, especially after someone has been in the building for 24 years. General manager Adam Peters works very closely with the scouting team, so he will very likely have a strong say in who he brings in. Peters is a former scout himself, so it could likely be someone he’s worked with in the past, and he knows what to look for in his search.
Scouting is a year-long process, but gathering all of the information over the next few months and finalizing scouting reports will be a crucial time for the staff, which is now missing its director. The staff will work nonstop from now until all of the picks are in during the draft, just to start the process again for 2027. But for 2026, they can’t afford to miss on their picks and waste another season with younger players not making an impact.