The Washington Commanders moved forward with experienced figures early in general manager Adam Peters' franchise revolution. This was primarily down to how the front-office leader viewed the roster construction from the previous head coach, Ron Rivera.
Most of Rivera's high-end draft picks are long gone. Peters brought in veterans with proven credentials to fill the void, which worked in the short term. However, for this project to have sustainable success, building through the draft is imperative.
Peters has now had two drafts with middling profitability. He's hit on his two first-rounders — Jayden Daniels and Josh Conerly Jr. — but the jury is still out on several others. And with only six selections during the 2026 process — two of which are in the first four rounds — that doesn't exactly bode well for his hopes of finding the pieces needed to get this organization back on the right path to prosperity.
That also puts the onus squarely on those drafted by Peters to raise their standards moving forward. With this in mind, here are five Commanders draft picks who are dangerously sliding into bust status at the worst moment.
Commanders' draft picks who are sliding into bust status at the worst moment
Kain Medrano - Commanders LB
The Commanders had a desperate need to find a developmental edge rusher at some stage during the 2025 draft. Adam Peters resisted the temptation, betting on the athletic upside of linebacker Kain Medrano instead.
Medrano had one of the highest testing scores at the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine. He was incredibly raw throughout his time at UCLA, but the Commanders saw potential to mold him into a capable performer. The second-level presence made the 53-man roster, but he's been used sparingly, suggesting it's taking a little longer for the player to force the issue.
This invokes memories of another draft pick who was practically redshirted in Year 1. Like Medrano, Dominique Hampton was a tweener — a safety with the physical scope to play linebacker. Unfortunately, his development was insufficient, and a disastrous preseason outing was enough for the Commanders to go in a different direction.
The task for Medrano will be avoiding a similar fate. He came highly recommended, and his previous work with linebackers coach Ken Norton Jr. from their time together on the Bruins was expected to smooth his transition. That hasn't quite worked out, so a massive effort is needed to turn the tide when preparations for the 2026 campaign gather pace.