The 2026 NFL Draft is over, and everyone wants to know what ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. thought of their favorite team's draft class. The Washington Commanders held six picks in the 2026 draft, beginning with No. 7 overall, where they selected Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles.
Washington was without picks in the second and fourth rounds as a result of last year's trade for left tackle Laremy Tunsil. That proved to be an excellent move for the Commanders, who recently inked Tunsil to a new two-year extension, keeping him under contract for the next three seasons.
So, what did Kiper think of Washington's draft? He gave the Commanders a B.
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 offense. 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 pre-draft 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.
It sounds like Kiper knocked the Commanders for using a seventh-round pick on Rutgers QB Athan Kaliakmanis, instead of LSU QB Garrett Nussmeier. Considering it was a seventh-round pick, not sure that's worth knocking Washington for. Clearly, the Commanders like Kaliakmanis, as they hosted him on an official top-30 visit before the draft.
Considering Washington had only six picks, it did an outstanding job of finding value, filling needs and finding at least four players who could help them in 2026.
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: 2026 NFL Draft: What did Mel Kiper Jr. think of Washington Commanders?