The Washington Commanders are hoping to find a pot of gold in the NFL Draft. And they’re already tinkering with their roster. But the best route to success could be finding the already proven players. And here are the three best players the Commanders must target during 2026 NFL free agency.
The needs are many for the Commanders. They need help at right end, guard, edge rusher, linebacker, and defensive back. They could get edge rusher help in the draft, but there’s never too much in that category.
So let’s take a look at who the Commanders should target when free agency cuts loose next week.
WR Alec Pierce should be top target
OK, let’s get this out of the way. The Colts still seem to be the most likely landing spot for Pierce. So when the Commanders go searching, Pierce could bring disappointment.
But as of now, he’s available. And he has to be their top target. He’s that guy. He’s an offensive game-changer.
Pierce will get plenty of yards and possibly approach double-digit touchdowns in the Commanders' offense. Almost as importantly, he would open the field for Terry McLaurin to operate and create defensive danger on the other side of the field. And the tight ends could have a field day against some defenses.
Several things are working in Pierce's favor. He’s only 25 years old and coming off back-to-back seasons of leading the NFL in yards per reception. But numbers aside, he brings a downfield ability to the NFL that few receivers have, according to Yahoo.com.
“It’s his unique skill-set of separating vertically downfield, high-pointing the football, maintaining body control, and making highly athletic/acrobatic catches through contact that make him one of the league’s truly elite deep threats,” Luke Schultheis wrote.
Yes, that’s the tipping point. This is why the Commanders need to pay Pierce if they get the chance. Combined with Jayden Daniels’ deep-ball ability, the Commanders would have an incredible threat. They could strike quickly, but also open things up for chunk plays in the ground game. That’s because the safety couldn’t cheat up for fear of getting beaten by Pierce or McLaurin.
And Pierce has the desire to be an elite wide receiver, according to a post on X by Up & Adams.
“I'm no longer gonna be an 80-target player… If I get paid this big contract, they're gonna have to throw me the ball more.”
Alec Pierce says he's ready and excited to step into a true WR1 role next season 😤”
Edge Odafe Oweh needs to get a long look
The Commanders might hit the edge position with the No. 7 overall pick in the draft. But that shouldn’t keep them from pursuing an edge rusher in the free agency market.
Oweh doesn’t profile as a superstar, but he’s coming off a strong finish with the Chargers. He graded as the 35th-best edge rusher, according to Pro Football Focus. But his pass rush grade landed at No. 17.
“A midseason trade from the Baltimore Ravens to the Los Angeles Chargers sparked a career year for Odafe Oweh at an ideal time as he heads toward free agency,” PFF wrote. “He recorded three sacks and two forced fumbles in the Chargers' playoff loss to the New England Patriots, and ranked 11th among edge defenders in PFF pass-rush win rate (16.5%) after arriving in Los Angeles.”
That pass-rush win rate is something the Commanders desperately need. They need to affect opposing quarterbacks light-years better than they did in 2025. And Oweh, combined with a stud pass rusher on the other side from the draft, could give them a boost.
Oweh carries interesting stats into free agency, according to ESPN.
“Oweh has never really put together a Pro Bowl-caliber season, but he is very good at avoiding chip help to get after quarterbacks,” Bill Barnwell wrote. “(Among the top free-agent pass rushers) with 1,000 attempts over the past three years, Oweh ranks fifth in quarterback pressure probability over expected (QBPOE), a metric that uses the NFL Next Gen Stats model to estimate how likely a pass rusher is to create a pressure on a given snap. There could still be some untapped upside here.”
CB Jaylen Watson should be a Commanders’ target
The defense must be better, as the back end was atrocious in 2025. The 27-year-old Watson came into his own with the Chiefs last year, and would be a significant upgrade for the Commanders’ secondary.
Watson ranked No. 16 among cornerbacks with an overall grade of 74.1, according to PFF.
“Watson posted a career-high 74.9 PFF grade in 2025, a performance that should position him well in free agency,” PFF wrote. “He has improved his PFF grade in every NFL season and limits mistakes, as his 5.8% missed tackle rate tied for ninth in the league this year.”
This would benefit the Commanders in two ways. They would get much better coverage while also getting run support help they’ve been lacking for multiple seasons.
