Maddmax'S MOCK DRAFT

Maddmax'S MOCK DRAFT
RUN ON APR 7, 2026

Another Draft

  • Maddmax DRAFTING FOR THE
    Commanders
Draft Selections
David Bailey Head Shot
PICK: 7 RND: 1 (WSH)
David Bailey
LB-EDGE Texas Tech
Keionte Scott Head Shot
PICK: 71 RND: 3 (WSH)
Keionte Scott
CB Miami
Malik Benson Head Shot
PICK: 147 RND: 5 (WSH)
Malik Benson
WR Oregon
VJ Payne Head Shot
PICK: 187 RND: 6 (WSH)
VJ Payne
S Kansas State
Thaddeus Dixon Head Shot
PICK: 209 RND: 6 (WSH)
Thaddeus Dixon
CB North Carolina
Noah Whittington Head Shot
PICK: 223 RND: 7 (WSH)
Noah Whittington
RB Oregon
Draft Grade — Commanders
Overall B-
ValueB NeedB TradesB- FutureB-
The Commanders did the meat-and-potatoes work well: B-.

For all the names on the card, the loudest question went unanswered. The Commanders walked out of the weekend still thin at tight end, a hole that has a way of deciding seasons.

Dixon has a lot of ground to make up just to look fairly priced. The Scott pick alone nudges the whole weekend up a notch. The trenches got the money picks, top to bottom.

All told, a draft that does its job without fuss, and there is real value in that.

Pick Analysis
Pick7 Rnd1 David Bailey
In pick 7 they get a bendy edge with upside. A real need, handled.
Pick71 Rnd3 Keionte Scott
Keionte Scott at the Round 3 slot is the sort of value that quietly wins a weekend. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
Pick147 Rnd5 Malik Benson
They took Malik Benson at par in No. 147, which is nothing to complain about. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
Pick187 Rnd6 VJ Payne
VJ Payne in slot 187 is the kind of reach that only looks good if he outplays it. A minor itch, scratched.
Pick209 Rnd6 Thaddeus Dixon
The board had cheaper options than Thaddeus Dixon at Round 6, Pick 28, and it noticed. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
Pick223 Rnd7 Noah Whittington
No edge and no loss on Noah Whittington in the 223rd overall pick; it is a wash and a sensible one. A need, and now a little less of one.