Entering the 2026 NFL Draft, the Washington Commander are not rich with draft compensation. In fact, they only have six picks overall heading into this year's three-day event in Pittsburgh. However, although the Commanders may not have many picks, they do have a very good selection in the first round with the seventh overall pick.
Commanders have spent a large portion of free agency addressing various concerns on defense. That effort could continue at the top of the NFL Draft, where Washington will be able to add blue-chip talent to the team. Or, maybe they'll go in a different direction to make an already dangerous offense even more powerful.
recently, athletic'Commanders insider Nikki Jhabvala suggested that if star Notre Dame running back Jeremiah Love is still available when Washington is on the clock at 7, Washington "will have no reason to hesitate in grabbing him."
"At running back, Washington signed three veterans – Rachad White, Jerome Ford and Jeremy McNichols – to one-year deals to fill out the room and add experience along with Zackary "Bill" Croskey-Merritt. But if Notre Dame's Jeremiah Love is available at No. 7, the room is built in such a way that Washington will have no reason to hesitate in nabbing him to add an explosive and dynamic threat on offense."
The Athletic's Nikki Jhabvala in the Commander's RB room
We cannot argue otherwise. Love, who ran a 4.36-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine, has the potential to be one of the best players in the draft class. He is someone who can exude aggression as soon as he steps on the field as a rookie.
Pairing one of the NFL's best overall weapons with dual-threat QB Jaden Daniels, an elite runner who also has extreme YAC abilities as a pass-catcher like Love, should have defenses shaking in their boots. Still, most projections have Love off the board before the Commanders arrive in time, and it's not like DC has the type of extra draft capital to get him if Love is a top target.
But hey, dreaming is fun, right? Perhaps there is a scenario where the unexpected happens. We see it happen every year, where a top prospect either falls away or teams make surprise decisions near the top of the draft. Anything is possible, maybe even Love will don the commander's uniform at the end of April.
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