Adam Peters will have a shortlist of options at No. 7 overall in the 2026 NFL Draft. The Washington Commanders don't have the ammunition to move up for a prospect at the top of their board, so the general manager has to get lucky in front of him before the franchise goes on the clock.
There are several unknowns. It's one of the more unpredictable drafts in recent memory, due to the lack of top-tier quarterback talent once Indiana prospect Fernando Mendoza goes off the board. Peters will be ready for anything, but the front office leader doesn't have much idea of how things will actually unfold.
And ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. provided a doomsday scenario for the Commanders in his final mock of the 2026 cycle.
Mel Kiper Jr. delivers draft scenario Commanders fans are hoping to avoid
The nightmare begins when David Bailey and Arvell Reese go No. 2 and No. 3, respectively. It's highly unlikely they will be available, but Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love going No. 4 to the Tennessee Titans was even worse.
If that wasn't bad enough, the New York Giants were tabbed with standout safety Caleb Downs. Kiper then had the Dallas Cowboys trading up to the Cleveland Browns' spot at No. 6 overall for linebacker Sonny Styles. That left the Commanders with Buckeyes' wide receiver Carnell Tate at No. 7.
Not a bad consolation, but Kiper doesn't even think Tate is the best wideout prospect in this class.
"[Carnell] Tate is currently my No. 2 receiver behind Arizona State's Jordyn Tyson, but he's atop a lot of receiver boards around the league and doesn't come with the same injury questions that Tyson does.
"Paired with another Ohio State product in Terry McLaurin, Tate would bring clean route running, reliability and some big-play ability. He averaged 17.2 yards per catch last season en route to 875 yards and nine trips to the end zone."
Tate is a good player and should be a solid pro. The Commanders have shown interest in the pass-catcher throughout their assessments, so he's probably on their shortlist. But if they were planning on a defensive prospect, and if Downs and Styles both end up with NFC East rivals, that would be disastrous.
It's all speculation at this point. However, Kiper isn't the only one projecting a major move up the order for Dallas if a defensive difference-maker is available and the price is right.
The Cowboys have two first-round picks, so jumping ahead of Washington and potentially even the Giants makes sense. Peters doesn't have that luxury with only two picks in the first four rounds, so all they can do is wait.
Hopefully, Kiper's scenario doesn't come to pass on the big night.
Add us as a preferred source on Google