The Super Bowl participants have now been confirmed. But for teams like the Washington Commanders, attention has been elsewhere for some time.
This is all about planning for the future. The Commanders fell way short of expectations last time around, and the same cannot happen again in 2026. Head coach Dan Quinn and general manager Adam Peters built up enough confidence from their first year together to avoid any pressure about their job statuses. Even so, fans and analysts are watching their moves closer than ever this offseason.
Washington has plenty of cash to spend in free agency with countless roster holes to fill. Peters also boasts six selections in the 2026 NFL Draft, but only two of those are in the first four rounds.
Evaluation season is in full swing. Scouts and other front-office personnel were closely watching events unfold at the East-West Shrine Bowl. This week, it's the Panini Senior Bowl, one of the most prominent dates on the assessment calendar.
Some star-studded prospects will attend the festivities in Mobile, Alabama, and the Commanders will send a strong team to further examine what they could bring to the franchise. It'll be interesting to see which direction Peters takes, but the heat is on to make the correct choices.
Using the Pro Football and Sports Network simulator, we took a look at how the Commanders may approach things in our pre-Senior Bowl mock draft.
Commanders' 7-round 2026 NFL mock draft before Senior Bowl week
Commanders draft Caleb Downs
- Safety | Ohio State Buckeyes
- Round No. 1 | Pick No. 7
Respected experts have already begun to narrow down the Washington Commanders' first-round pick to three or four prospects.
Miami defensive lineman Rueben Bain Jr. enhanced his stock considerably throughout the college football playoffs. Texas Tech edge rusher David Bailey took last season by storm and could be the best pure pass-rusher in this class. Both would be outstanding additions to the club, but both might also be gone by the time Adam Peters goes on the clock.
That would leave the Commanders with a tough choice. Peters may look to trade down. He could go against the grain with Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love. He could also ignore positional value and select Ohio State safety Caleb Downs, which is the preference here.
Downs is not your average safety. He's a genuine game-wrecker in all phases. He may be the best overall prospect in this class, and the Commanders are in desperate need of help on the back end after some rash gambles from Peters in recent years haven't paid off.
Much will depend on how Peters approaches free agency. But if he's intent on taking the best prospect available, Downs is precisely that if he's still around at No. 7.