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

Another Draft

  • Maddmax DRAFTING FOR THE
    Commanders
Draft Selections
Sonny Styles Head Shot
PICK: 32 RND: 1 (WSH)
Sonny Styles
LB Ohio State
Zachariah Branch Head Shot
PICK: 60 RND: 2 (WSH)
Zachariah Branch
WR Georgia
Malik Muhammad Head Shot
PICK: 71 RND: 3 (WSH)
Malik Muhammad
CB Texas
Emmett Johnson Head Shot
PICK: 91 RND: 3 (WSH)
Emmett Johnson
RB Nebraska
DeMonte Capehart Head Shot
PICK: 126 RND: 4 (WSH)
DeMonte Capehart
DT Clemson
Patrick Payton Head Shot
PICK: 145 RND: 5 (WSH)
Patrick Payton
DL-EDGE LSU
Eric McAlister Head Shot
PICK: 185 RND: 6 (WSH)
Eric McAlister
WR TCU
Thaddeus Dixon Head Shot
PICK: 196 RND: 6 (WSH)
Thaddeus Dixon
CB North Carolina
Roman Hemby Head Shot
PICK: 223 RND: 7 (WSH)
Roman Hemby
RB Indiana
Draft Picks Received
Sonny Styles Head Shot
PICK: 32 RND: 1 (SEA)
Sonny Styles
LB Ohio State
Zachariah Branch Head Shot
PICK: 60 RND: 2 (BUF)
Zachariah Branch
WR Georgia
Emmett Johnson Head Shot
PICK: 91 RND: 3 (BUF)
Emmett Johnson
RB Nebraska
DeMonte Capehart Head Shot
PICK: 126 RND: 4 (BUF)
DeMonte Capehart
DT Clemson
No Pick Head Shot
PICK: RND: 1 (BUF)
NEXT YEAR (2027)
 
Draft Picks Traded
Caleb Downs Head Shot
PICK: 7 RND: 1 (BUF)
Caleb Downs
S Ohio State
Players Gained
Head Shot
Boye Mafe
LB
Head Shot
Uchenna Nwosu
LB
Draft Grade — Commanders
Overall B+
ValueC+ NeedB TradesA+ FutureA
The Commanders turned the phones into found money: B+.

The Patrick Payton pick is the one that will follow the Commanders into the fall. They took him 54 spots ahead of his grade, and the board is not shy about saying so. They moved the roster forward and banked a B+ for it.

The trade ledger is the best part of the whole weekend. The tight end hole is the one line item this class does not answer. On value alone, McAlister makes the weekend a net positive.

In sum, a sturdy weekend with one asterisk, the tight end spot they never got to.

Pick Analysis
Pick32 Rnd1 Sonny Styles
In pick 32 they get the heartbeat of the defense, outstanding value to boot. More want than need.
Pick60 Rnd2 Zachariah Branch
Zachariah Branch at the 60th overall pick is a steep price for a hunch, hard to square with any board. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
Pick71 Rnd3 Malik Muhammad
A market-rate cornerback, with the board and the slot shaking hands on Malik Muhammad. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
Pick91 Rnd3 Emmett Johnson
Emmett Johnson at the Round 3 slot is neither steal nor reach, just the going rate. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
Pick126 Rnd4 DeMonte Capehart
DeMonte Capehart in pick No. 126 is early enough to raise a brow, if not a full objection. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
Pick145 Rnd5 Patrick Payton
This one needs a full-page explanation: Patrick Payton in Round 5, Pick 7, miles early. A need, and now a little less of one.
Pick185 Rnd6 Eric McAlister
Value with a capital V on Eric McAlister in No. 185, a genuine coup. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
Pick196 Rnd6 Thaddeus Dixon
Thaddeus Dixon slipping to pick No. 196 is the kind of luck good rooms make for themselves. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
Pick223 Rnd7 Roman Hemby
They left a pile of value on the table to take Roman Hemby this early at the 223rd pick. It patches a soft spot without any drama.