A lot of attention has focused on who Adam Peters will choose with the No. 7 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. With the Washington Commanders’ defense in need of a major overhaul, early speculation is focusing on edge rushers David Bailey and Rueben Bain, Jr., as well as safety Caleb Downs.
The Commanders need help at every level of the defense, but that need is most dire at edge rusher.
Washington finished in the middle of the league in sacks last season, but in all other key metrics, they ranked toward the bottom. Dan Quinn’s defense was dead last in quarterback hurries, an almost unfathomable stat for a team coached by the defensive mind.
Fortunately, 2026 appears to be a strong year for edge rushers in the draft. That doesn’t only apply to blue chippers like Bailey and Bain.
Peters does not have a second-round pick this year, so he may be looking for a pass-rusher in the third round, regardless of the direction he takes with his first selection. Former Commanders player and current analyst Logan Paulsen recently pointed to one very intriguing option who could be on the board in round three.
Logan Paulsen touts Penn State edge Dani Dennis-Sutton for the Commanders
Dani Dennis-Sutton is a prototypical modern edge rusher. Or, to put it in Paulson’s words, “He’s a big ole’ hoss.”
At 6-foot-5 and 265 pounds, Dennis-Sutton has the size and length to set edges in the NFL. He also has excellent straight-line speed. He has run 4.68 seconds in the 40-yard dash, exceptional for a man of his size. It suggests a player with the ability to chase down ball carriers and quarterbacks from the backside.
Coming from the Nittany Lions, Dennis-Sutton has faced top-level competition over the span of four years and 55 games. Teams don’t have to guess about what they are getting.
The McDonogh High School graduate from nearby Owings Mills has been a model of consistency over his last two seasons. He had 8.5 sacks in both 2024 and 2025, along with getting 25 tackles for loss, split evenly over the two years. Dennis-Sutton was even credited with three pass defenses in both years.
In the 2024 college football playoff matchup with Notre Dame, Dennis-Sutton recorded two sacks and a forced fumble. This suggests that he does not disappear in big moments.
Though he has dropped off in coverage at times, Dennis-Sutton is most likely destined to be on the line in the pros, as an end in either a 4-3 or 3-4 front. Some reports from scouts indicate he would function best as a 3-4 end, which is not Washington’s current defensive alignment.
However, with the defensive coordinator role still vacant, the Commanders’ plans for their defense in 2026 remain a mystery. Whether he lines up as a 5 or 7-technique in the NFL, Dennis-Sutton has the physical tools to be effective.
As Paulsen points out, “He’s got long arms. He’s got everything you want. He’s big; he’s heavy-handed.”
The reason a player like Dennis-Sutton falls a round or two behind players like Bailey and Bain is the way he bends the edge.
He does not have that elite athleticism to maintain maximum speed while veering around a blocker. The more compact Bain and the more agile Bailey have exceptional leans. Dennis-Sutton is a little more upright, a bit less flexible.
But he still has plenty of raw speed and power to contribute immediately in the NFL. As a pro pass rusher, he brings a solid floor, something the Commanders desperately need. With technique refinement, he could have a very high ceiling as well.
If Paulsen is correct and Dennis-Sutton is on the board early in the third round, he would be a safe pick, while also offering the potential to be a lot more.