NFL insider Peter Schrager's makes his final pick for the Commanders

Washington Commanders general manager Adam Peters has less than 36 hours to decide what he wants to do with the No. 7 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, which begins at 8:00 p.m. EDT on Thursday, April 23, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

The Commanders have just six picks in this year's draft, and zero picks in both the second and fourth rounds. That makes their first and third round selections that much more important. Initially, analysts could not come to a consensus on what the Commanders would do with their first pick in the draft. Now, though, there seems to be a consensus on who it should be. ESPN's Peter Schrager released his final mock draft on Wednesday morning, and he agrees with several others on who the pick will be.

Carnell Tate, WR, Ohio State

There are a lot of good options on the board, including Ohio State safety Caleb Downs. But Washington has to help Jayden Daniels and get this offense back on track. The Commanders scored 20.1 points per game last season but didn't make many WR additions in free agency. The entire receiver class is available here. I think Washington could pair Tate with Terry McLaurin.

Again, at the risk of sounding like a robot, Tate fills a major need for the Commanders. He's a legitimate downfield threat who can take the defensive attention and pressure off of veteran wide receiver Terry McLaurin. And, given that they share an alma mater, it won't take long for Tate to acclimate to the Commanders.

Tate has a maturity and a level of talent that isn't often seen in players his age. He is the consummate team player, prioritizing wins over touches, and he's willing to do whatever is asked of him on the field. He played his final two seasons at Ohio State, lining up opposite Jeremiah Smith, who took the NCAA by storm as a true freshman in 2024. Tate never wavered; he didn't enter the transfer portal, but rather accepted his role and did it to the best of his ability.