NFL Draft expert has Commanders making controversial selection with No. 7 overall pick in latest mock draft
NFL Draft expert Mel Kiper has the Commanders selecting a position they fixed during free agency in the first round.
The Washington Commanders attacked free agency head-on, and the roster is in a stable condition for the first time in a long time.
The offseason doesn’t just stop at free agency, though. The Commanders still have plenty of additions to make with other free agents and then the 2026 NFL Draft. Mock drafts are in full force with the NFL Draft just over a month away, and Mel Kiper has the Commanders taking a position they just addressed in free agency.
Mel Kiper has the Commanders selecting LB Sonny Styles with the No. 7 overall pick
There will be many debates between now and the moment the Commanders are on the clock about who they should be drafting with the No. 7 overall pick. Mel Kiper’s latest mock draft added another name to the debate after he projected the Commanders to take Ohio State LB Sonny Styles with the No. 7 overall pick.
Kiper had David Bailey, Jeremiyah Love, Caleb Downs, and Arvell Reese off the board in the top-5, so he had the Commanders snagging Styles. The Commanders passed on Carnell Tate, Joryn Tyson, Mansoor Delane, and Rueben Bain, which would create controversy in itself. Should the Commanders take Styles over some of the other notable names that were on the board, though?
Should the Commanders draft LB Sonny Styles?
The Commanders signed LB Leo Chenal to a three-year deal in free agency, but would that stop them from drafting Styles? My answer is yes. They have Frankie Luvu and Jordan Magee, who are poised to thrive in Daronte Jones’ defense, and there’s no reason to use that pick at the LB position now.
Chenal is a do-it-all LB who will be a sure run-stopper and blitz off the EDGE like Styles. The one area where Styles is better than Chenal is his coverage ability as a converted safety. The Commanders now have larger areas to address, such as the WR room. I’d rather see the Commanders take WR Carnell Tate with the No. 7 overall pick, or trade back a few spots and take Jordyn Tyson ot Makai Lemon, while collecting a second or third-round pick.
The defense was the main focus in free agency, and the offense needs to be the top priority, depending on how the draft board falls. A top defensive player like Styles and Bain on the board would be perfect for the Commanders to trade back, but WR is way too high a priority to add another LB.
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