Maddmax'S MOCK DRAFT
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Maddmax'S MOCK DRAFT
RUN ON APR 9, 2026

Another Draft

  • Maddmax DRAFTING FOR THE
    Commanders
Draft Selections
Mansoor Delane Head Shot
PICK: 13 RND: 1 (WSH)
Mansoor Delane
CB LSU
Christen Miller Head Shot
PICK: 63 RND: 2 (WSH)
Christen Miller
DL Georgia
Zachariah Branch Head Shot
PICK: 71 RND: 3 (WSH)
Zachariah Branch
WR Georgia
Connor Lew Head Shot
PICK: 84 RND: 3 (WSH)
Connor Lew
C Auburn
Bryce Lance Head Shot
PICK: 125 RND: 4 (WSH)
Bryce Lance
WR North Dakota State
VJ Payne Head Shot
PICK: 187 RND: 6 (WSH)
VJ Payne
S Kansas State
Kobe Baynes Head Shot
PICK: 209 RND: 6 (WSH)
Kobe Baynes
OG Kansas
Thaddeus Dixon Head Shot
PICK: 223 RND: 7 (WSH)
Thaddeus Dixon
CB North Carolina
Draft Picks Received
Mansoor Delane Head Shot
PICK: 13 RND: 1 (LAR)
Mansoor Delane
CB LSU
Christen Miller Head Shot
PICK: 63 RND: 2 (NE)
Christen Miller
DL Georgia
Connor Lew Head Shot
PICK: 84 RND: 3 (GB)
Connor Lew
C Auburn
Bryce Lance Head Shot
PICK: 125 RND: 4 (NE)
Bryce Lance
WR North Dakota State
No Pick Head Shot
PICK: RND: 2 (LAR)
NEXT YEAR (2027)
 
No Pick Head Shot
PICK: RND: 5 (LAR)
NEXT YEAR (2027)
 
No Pick Head Shot
PICK: RND: 6 (LAR)
NEXT YEAR (2027)
 
Draft Picks Traded
Caleb Downs Head Shot
PICK: 7 RND: 1 (LAR)
Caleb Downs
S Ohio State
Skyler Gill-Howard Head Shot
PICK: 147 RND: 5 (SF)
Skyler Gill-Howard
DT Texas Tech
Players Gained
Head Shot
Brandon Aiyuk
WR
Head Shot
Xavier McKinney
S
Head Shot
Byron Young
LB
Players traded away
Head Shot
Daron Payne
DT
Draft Grade — Commanders
Overall A-
ValueB NeedB+ TradesA+ FutureB+
Best value of the weekend goes to the Commanders for Lance: A-.

When a board-topper like Bryce Lance slides to pick 125, you do not overthink it, and the Commanders did not. They executed a plan and it shows in the A-.

They won the margins on every swap, and it adds up fast. For all the activity, tight end went untouched, which is hard to explain.

In the end it comes back to Mansoor Delane, and a haul good enough to build on right away.

Pick Analysis
Pick13 Rnd1 Mansoor Delane
In Round 1, Pick 13 they get a sticky cover corner at fair value. It fills the loudest need on the roster.
Pick63 Rnd2 Christen Miller
A clean, defensible pick in the Round 2 slot with a little surplus value in Christen Miller. A need, and now a little less of one.
Pick71 Rnd3 Zachariah Branch
Value with a capital V on Zachariah Branch in pick No. 71, a genuine coup. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
Pick84 Rnd3 Connor Lew
Connor Lew at the 84th overall pick is right where the board had him, plain and simple. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
Pick125 Rnd4 Bryce Lance
Taking Bryce Lance in pick 125 is close to grand larceny; a wide receiver that good had no business lasting this long. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
Pick187 Rnd6 VJ Payne
They went early on VJ Payne in No. 187, and the value did not follow. A minor need, but a need all the same.
Pick209 Rnd6 Kobe Baynes
They read the board right and Kobe Baynes was the payoff at slot 209. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
Pick223 Rnd7 Thaddeus Dixon
Thaddeus Dixon at the 223rd pick is a sound buy, the sort that quietly helps a class. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.