The Top Cat'S MOCK DRAFT
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The Top Cat'S MOCK DRAFT
RUN ON APR 22, 2026

Deeply

  • The Top Cat DRAFTING FOR THE
    Commanders
Draft Selections
Caleb Downs Head Shot
PICK: 7 RND: 1 (WSH)
Caleb Downs
S Ohio State
Lee Hunter Head Shot
PICK: 65 RND: 3 (WSH)
Lee Hunter
DT Texas Tech
Anthony Hill Jr. Head Shot
PICK: 71 RND: 3 (WSH)
Anthony Hill Jr.
LB Texas
Germie Bernard Head Shot
PICK: 77 RND: 3 (WSH)
Germie Bernard
WR Alabama
Ted Hurst Head Shot
PICK: 104 RND: 4 (WSH)
Ted Hurst
WR Georgia State
Malik Muhammad Head Shot
PICK: 116 RND: 4 (WSH)
Malik Muhammad
CB Texas
Sam Hecht Head Shot
PICK: 143 RND: 5 (WSH)
Sam Hecht
C Kansas State
DeMonte Capehart Head Shot
PICK: 147 RND: 5 (WSH)
DeMonte Capehart
DT Clemson
Nate Boerkircher Head Shot
PICK: 155 RND: 5 (WSH)
Nate Boerkircher
TE Texas A&M
Domani Jackson Head Shot
PICK: 187 RND: 6 (WSH)
Domani Jackson
CB Alabama
VJ Payne Head Shot
PICK: 195 RND: 6 (WSH)
VJ Payne
S Kansas State
Adam Randall Head Shot
PICK: 209 RND: 6 (WSH)
Adam Randall
RB Clemson
Riley Nowakowski Head Shot
PICK: 223 RND: 7 (WSH)
Riley Nowakowski
TE Indiana
Draft Picks Received
Lee Hunter Head Shot
PICK: 65 RND: 3 (ARI)
Lee Hunter
DT Texas Tech
Germie Bernard Head Shot
PICK: 77 RND: 3 (TB)
Germie Bernard
WR Alabama
Ted Hurst Head Shot
PICK: 104 RND: 4 (ARI)
Ted Hurst
WR Georgia State
Malik Muhammad Head Shot
PICK: 116 RND: 4 (TB)
Malik Muhammad
CB Texas
Sam Hecht Head Shot
PICK: 143 RND: 5 (ARI)
Sam Hecht
C Kansas State
Nate Boerkircher Head Shot
PICK: 155 RND: 5 (TB)
Nate Boerkircher
TE Texas A&M
VJ Payne Head Shot
PICK: 195 RND: 6 (TB)
VJ Payne
S Kansas State
No Pick Head Shot
PICK: RND: 5 (ARI)
NEXT YEAR (2027)
 
Players traded away
Head Shot
Ben Sinnott
TE
Head Shot
Daron Payne
DT
Head Shot
Jartavius Martin
S
Head Shot
Jer'Zhan Newton
DL
Head Shot
Mike Sainristil
CB
Head Shot
Will Harris
CB
Draft Grade — Commanders
Overall D-
ValueB+ NeedB- TradesF FutureB-
The phones sank the Commanders this weekend: D-.

There is conviction, and then there is this. The Commanders took Adam Randall a full 74 picks ahead of where the board had him, an overdraft steep enough that it colors the whole weekend. Put together, it is a D-.

They handed away value on the phones that the picks cannot earn back. Hecht at that cost is the sort of edge that compounds over a roster. They punted on edge rusher, and it is the miss that keeps the grade honest.

Wide receiver is handled and the depth chart looks a good deal healthier for it.

Bottom line, they will need several of these picks to beat their grades just to break even, and edge rusher is still a hole.

Pick Analysis
Pick7 Rnd1 Caleb Downs
In No. 7 they get a rangy last line of defense. More want than need.
Pick65 Rnd3 Lee Hunter
Nice patience on Lee Hunter, who had no business lasting to the 65th pick. The roster fit checks out.
Pick71 Rnd3 Anthony Hill Jr.
Anthony Hill Jr. at pick No. 71 is a first-round grade at a bargain-bin price, no notes. A quiet depth add at a thin-ish spot.
Pick77 Rnd3 Germie Bernard
Quietly one of the better values of the day, Germie Bernard at slot 77. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
Pick104 Rnd4 Ted Hurst
Ted Hurst is a better player than Round 4, Pick 4 suggests; smart patience, rewarded. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
Pick116 Rnd4 Malik Muhammad
They read the board right and Malik Muhammad was the payoff at pick 116. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
Pick143 Rnd5 Sam Hecht
Taking Sam Hecht in Round 5, Pick 3 is close to grand larceny; an offensive lineman that good had no business lasting this long. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
Pick147 Rnd5 DeMonte Capehart
Good things come to war rooms that wait, and DeMonte Capehart at slot 147 is the proof. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
Pick155 Rnd5 Nate Boerkircher
They paid a round early for Nate Boerkircher in the 155th pick, more than the board wanted. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
Pick187 Rnd6 Domani Jackson
Good price on Domani Jackson in pick 187, a hair ahead of his grade with no real quibbles. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
Pick195 Rnd6 VJ Payne
By-the-book stuff, VJ Payne at the 195th overall pick squarely in line with his ranking. Nice player, but the depth chart did not need him here.
Pick209 Rnd6 Adam Randall
Adam Randall at pick No. 209 is the pick scouts circle, and not in a good way. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
Pick223 Rnd7 Riley Nowakowski
Riley Nowakowski at the Round 7 slot is neither steal nor reach, just the going rate. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.