Commanders linksMeet the newest members of the crew 🫡➡️ @sonnystyles_ ➡️ @a_williams2022 ➡️ @joshuajosephs2 ➡️ @kaytron_allen ➡️ @GulbinMatt ➡️ @aajk_23 pic.twitter.com/h6MTiNMKea

— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) April 27, 2026

This is where the Commanders have focused much of their attention — and money — during the offseason. They certainly got younger and more athletic, but the group lacks long-term depth, which means they’ll be re-signing or re-doing this room in a year. Oweh was the big-ticket signing, with a four-year, $96 million contract. But he and Josephs, the fifth-round rookie out of Tennessee, are really the only two with long-term deals. Jean-Baptiste, a 2024 seventh-rounder, has two years left on his rookie deal, but he’s coming off a pectoral muscle injury. Chaisson, Omenihu, Wise and Jackson are all on one-year deals, and Armstrong, who suffered an ACL injury last season, has only one season left on his contract.

Kinda wild that despite how active Washington was in free agency at the edge position, the only non-rookie deal w guaranteed $$ in 2027 is Oweh. Everybody else is either 1-yr deal expiring after 2026, or void. pic.twitter.com/rE4YBaengP

There are a lot of names here, but still a massive void. The Commanders lacked depth at wideout last season and it cost them dearly as they dealt with a slew of injuries. They also lacked a consistent complement to No. 1 option McLaurin, a so-called “No. 2 receiver” who can pose a threat to defenses and carry a starter’s workload. Brown wasn’t it during his previous four seasons in Washington. McCaffrey and Lane have, so far, been best as returners and slot receivers. Perhaps Burks can step up after impressing late last season, but the 2022 first-round pick has only eight games of experience in Washington and a roller-coaster career previously.

Williams, the team’s third-round pick, brings plenty of intrigue, but also plenty of questions. The Commanders believe he has the versatility to play inside and outside, even though he spent much of his college career at Clemson in the slot — where Washington already has a number of players who are roughly his size. That certainly doesn’t mean he can’t become that second threat Washington sorely needs, but until he shows it, the Commanders may have to add more veteran help, either from the pool of unsigned free agents — or from San Francisco. You know what I’m getting at.

According to @SharpFootball, the #Commanders had the best 2026 NFL Draft and the #49ers had the worst. Here's his reasoning, how Adam Peters factors into both and the local angle from @davidaldridgedc @WTOP https://t.co/DzhBBL8Mob

At 5’11½”, 187 pounds, Williams is a slightly undersized receiver that likely projects to the slot in the NFL. He did play mostly in the slot but also saw some time outside at Clemson. So what exactly are the Commanders getting in Williams? The first thing that stands out is his route running ability.

stats speak for themselves 😌@a_williams2022 | #RaiseHail pic.twitter.com/43CLHh2PBb

— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) April 27, 2026

I don’t think he’s elite in that area but nobody is coming out of college. But what makes Williams a good receiver is his understanding of the nuances when it comes to being a quarterback friendly target. Williams understands that each play is its own entity and while a route might be drawn up one way on paper, on the field there are other factors at play that might require a different action.

What are the Commanders getting in 3rd round WR Antonio Williams?-Detailed route runner-Understanding of route tempo and soft spots in zone-Slot receiver profileFull breakdown: https://t.co/1KVHVonAcX pic.twitter.com/E06EqsC2x7

The run on defensive players in the second round gave the Commanders a bevy of receivers to choose from at No. 71, and they felt Williams was the best of the bunch. Why? Because his route running is some of the most advanced in his class, and it helps him win his matchups.

Williams’ nuances as a route runner, which general manager Adam Peters said players don’t normally learn until they get to the NFL, helped him get separation against bigger, more physical cornerbacks, particularly in man coverage. He ranked in the 88th percentile against single man coverage heading into the 2025 season, and that continued in his final season with the Tigers. He caught 70.4% of his targets against man coverage with zero drops.

Fans might have been expecting the Commanders to go after a bigger wide receiver in the draft, and there’s a chance they can still pursue one in the coming months. However, they were more concerned with finding a receiver in the draft who could win matchups and weren’t as concerned with how that happened. The way they saw it, Williams fit that description and was the best available.

Like the slot rep here from Antonio Williams v. SC. Does a good job v. Soft press, selling vertical with speed and putting pressure on the defender. Creating good separation at the breakpoint. pic.twitter.com/YtSXKRjcdV

Williams was mostly used as a slot receiver last year, which is why some Commanders fans were confused by the pick. They already have multiple players with experience in the slot on the roster, so it raised questions about the team’s personnel.

But Peters said Williams can be used on the outside as well, and there is a decent sample size of him playing well at that spot.

“That’s really the thing that differentiated him from a lot of guys is winning outside and winning against really good players outside, especially in 2024,” Peters said.

While Williams only had 27 snaps as an outside receiver in 2025, he was used more often at the spot in 2024 with 317 snaps. It also happened to be his best season, hitting career highs in multiple categories. While he was still best between the numbers, he put up respectable grades on the outside, particularly on plays of 20-plus yards. He graded out with a 90.9 when lined up as an outside receiver on the right of the formation and an 87.6 on the left. He put up similar numbers in 2025, earning a 93.9 on the outside right and 80.7 on the outside left.