Top needs entering the draft: Wide receiver, cornerback, safety, center, edge rusher
The Commanders took a big step back last season. After their surprising run to the NFC Championship Game in the 2024 season, they won five games and landed in the top 10 of the draft. Jayden Daniels missed 10 games with various injuries, and the offense tumbled, as you might expect. Washington went from fifth in scoring (28.1 points per game) to 23rd (20.1). Terry McLaurin struggled, and the running backs lacked juice.
Things might have been worse on defense. Washington allowed 6.0 yards per play. Bobby Wagner still did his thing (162 tackles), but he’s a 36-year-old free agent, and one of the oldest rosters of the 2025 season needed to get younger.
At No. 7, Jeremiyah Love was suggested as a perfect fit, and he would have been. But he was long gone when Washington was on the clock. I projected Carnell Tate there in my final mock as the other outside receiver opposite McLaurin, but he was gone, too. The Commanders theoretically could have taken Jordyn Tyson, Reuben Bain Jr. or Caleb Downs to check off needs, but they went with the best player still on the board.
Sonny Styles (fourth in my rankings) shows his former-safety self, using 4.46 speed and elite-level explosion to read the play and close in a flash. He doesn’t miss tackles and chases down running backs before they can get to the edge. He’s a high-floor, high-ceiling prospect who is going to make this team better. It was a really good start to the draft.
Antonio Williams and Kaytron Allen will boost the other side of the ball. Williams catches a lot of passes and is productive after the catch (331 of his 604 yards last year came after securing the football). He missed a little time last season and wasn’t as effective as he was in 2024 (11 touchdowns), but he will be a reliable outlet out of the slot for Daniels while also making an impact as a returner. Allen isn’t Love, but he did score 15 touchdowns on the ground last season and broke 30 runs for at least 10 yards. The Commanders brought in Rachaad White and Jerome Ford to join Jacory Croskey-Merritt in the backfield, but Allen will see his share of touches.
Joshua Josephs fell a little bit in the predraft process (only four sacks last season), and the Athan Kaliakmanis pick was a little off the wall. He was QB19 on my board. If Washington wanted a backup quarterback, Garrett Nussmeier was still there.
Regardless, Styles will be the centerpiece of this draft class, and he has the chance to be a really effective player for a very long time. I’m excited to see him team up with Frankie Luvu and Leo Chenal to shore up the team’s struggling defense.
