There’s a lot of speculation about who the Washington Commanders will grab in the first round. One reason is that they only pick once after that until the fifth round. But here is what the experts say, taking a look at the Commanders' 2026 NFL mock draft roundup after the NFL Combine.
If the Commanders are going to be competitive this season, there are key areas they must address on defense. That’s why their first-round pick at No. 7 overall is so critical. They have to get that one right.
Here’s what some NFL observers are sending the Commanders’ way.
Sonny Styles, LB, Ohio State
Mel Kiper, ESPN
The Commanders want to get faster on defense, so if Styles is still around, that desire might be the tipping point.
“The former safety has real speed on a 6-foot-4, 243-pound frame,” Kiper wrote. “With the Commanders' defense getting crushed for 6.0 yards per play last season (tied for third worst) and potentially losing 35-year-old free agent Bobby Wagner up the middle, this fit makes sense.”
David Bailey, EDGE, Texas Tech
Nate Tice and Charles MacDonald, Yahoo Sports;
This duo said the Commanders will stay away from an offensive threat and try to improve the defense.
“As tempting as it will be to add an offensive player of some kind here, with tasty options at offensive line, wide receiver, tight end and running back, the Commanders instead add firepower to a defense that has to get faster, younger and just straight up better,” Tice and McDonald wrote.
Bailey went off the charts at the Combine, according to a post on X by Next Gen Stats.
“David Bailey reached the third-fastest top speed in the forty (22.91 mph) of any EDGE prospect at the Combine over the last four years.”
And there’s more, according to NFL Researcher’s post on X.
“David Bailey at the 2026 Combine…
▫️Faster than Antonio Cromartie
▫️Quicker than Davante Adams
▫️Jumps higher than A.J. Green
▫️More explosive than Adrian Peterson
▫️Heavier than Von Miller”
You get the point. This dude has measurables. Some team is gonna be happy with this pick. Will it be the Commanders?
Arvell Reese, EDGE, Ohio State
Ryan Wilson, CBS Sports
If the Commanders have this guy on the board when they pick, could they pass him up?
“Could Reese fall to No. 7? It seems like a long shot, but if the Bills trade up for a WR, things can get interesting quickly,” Wilson wrote. “This is a best-case scenario for the Commanders, who have to upgrade their pass rush.”
Rueben Bain Jr., EDGE, Miami (FL)
Trevor Sikkema, Pro Football Focus
Forget the measurements, this dude can get after quarterbacks.
“Bain measured in with short arms (sub-31 inches), but we already knew that would happen,” Sikkema wrote. “That doesn’t change his tape or the fact that he is one of the top three-down defensive linemen in the class. He would immediately be the biggest difference maker on the Commanders' defensive line after racking up the most pressures (83) in college football this past season.”
Pressures? Commanders fans aren’t familiar with that term.
Caleb Downs, S, Ohio State
Justin Melo, Sports Illustrated; Tim Crean, ClutchPoints; Chad Reuter, NFL.com
Sure, if Downs lasts this long. He probably won’t. But if he does …
“Ohio State safety Caleb Downs participated in just on-field drills at the NFL Combine,” Melo wrote. “He should still be a top-10 lock as arguably the cleanest evaluation in the entire draft. Downs is a do-it-all safety who can thrive near the line of scrimmage or in a ball-hawking role on the back end.
“The Washington Commanders need a physical tone setter on defense, because Dan Quinn's unit looked directionless in 2025.”
Crean said Downs is a player with a high ceiling.
“Downs is an all-around playmaker who will give some Washington fans flashbacks to the late, great Sean Taylor,” Crean wrote. “Yes, drafting a safety this high is a risky proposition, but Downs is a special player. And adding a young superstar to the back end of the defense will help Dan Quinn get the D back where it needs to be.”
Reuter added that Downs could be a fixture for the Commanders’ defense for many years.
“The Commanders take the best player on the board to be a long-term pillar of their defense,” Reuter wrote. “Downs can lead the squad from the back end and insert himself into plays around the box, thanks to his elite instincts.”
Overall, there's an interesting mix. It seems certain that the Commanders will go with a defensive player. Everybody on this list went that direction. A few outliers have them considering RB Jeremiyah Love. But defense seems like the right direction.
