Commanders had elite NFL 2026 draft class in one key category

The 2026 NFL Draft has come and gone, and I think it's fair to say that most Washington Commanders fans came away happy. Star linebacker Sonny Styles fell to the team in the first round, and the Commanders were able to fill several holes with the rest of their picks.

It's now safe to say that expectations are high again in Washington. The team had a down 2025 season, mostly due to injuries, and the hope is that the team will get back to contention in 2026. A major reason the Commanders are in a better spot now is the work of general manager Adam Peters.

Peters has done a fantastic job of adding talent to the roster, including during the 2026 draft. NFL analyst Daniel Jeremiah recently shared a stat showing just how well the Commanders performed during this year's draft.

Jeremiah assigned values to every pick made in the draft. For example, a team gets 150 points for the top-ranked prospect, 149 points for the second, and so on. Teams get zero points for selecting players not ranked in the top 150. This allows us to see which teams selected the most highly ranked players and thus made the most out of their selections.

According to Jeremiah's formula, the Commanders had the second-best draft class, earning 315 points while being expected to get 228 points based off of where they were selecting. Only the Indianapolis Colts fared better in this way.

According to this, the Commanders easily had the best draft in the NFC East. The Giants come in at No. 15 while the Eagles are at No. 22, and the Cowboys are at No. 23.

So, while it seems like the Commanders got great value, the hope is now that these players contribute immediately. Styles should be an every-down player right away, and it won't be surprising to see third-round wide receiver Antonio Williams force his way onto the field either.

Edge rusher Joshua Josephs and running back Kaytron Allen both went way later than they were expected to go and could play rotational roles as rookies. Sixth-round lineman Matt Gulbin should, at the very least, be a solid backup on the interior, and quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis is an intriguing young passer prospect.