gcarioto'S MOCK DRAFT
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gcarioto'S MOCK DRAFT
RUN ON JAN 8, 2026

DRAFT

  • gcarioto DRAFTING FOR THE
    Commanders
Draft Selections
Joshua Josephs Head Shot
PICK: 24 RND: 1 (WSH)
Joshua Josephs
DE-EDGE Tennessee
Caleb Banks Head Shot
PICK: 43 RND: 2 (WSH)
Caleb Banks
DE Florida
Michael Taaffe Head Shot
PICK: 71 RND: 3 (WSH)
Michael Taaffe
S Texas
Deontae Lawson Head Shot
PICK: 88 RND: 3 (WSH)
Deontae Lawson
LB Alabama
Jack Endries Head Shot
PICK: 111 RND: 4 (WSH)
Jack Endries
TE Texas
Jude Bowry Head Shot
PICK: 145 RND: 5 (WSH)
Jude Bowry
OT Boston College
Zane Durant Head Shot
PICK: 187 RND: 6 (WSH)
Zane Durant
DT Penn State
Patrick Payton Head Shot
PICK: 198 RND: 6 (WSH)
Patrick Payton
DL-EDGE LSU
Roderick Kearney Head Shot
PICK: 220 RND: 7 (WSH)
Roderick Kearney
OG Florida
Cam Calhoun Head Shot
PICK: 223 RND: 7 (WSH)
Cam Calhoun
CB Alabama
Draft Picks Received
Joshua Josephs Head Shot
PICK: 24 RND: 1 (BUF)
Joshua Josephs
DE-EDGE Tennessee
Caleb Banks Head Shot
PICK: 43 RND: 2 (MIA)
Caleb Banks
DE Florida
Deontae Lawson Head Shot
PICK: 88 RND: 3 (BUF)
Deontae Lawson
LB Alabama
Jack Endries Head Shot
PICK: 111 RND: 4 (MIA)
Jack Endries
TE Texas
Roderick Kearney Head Shot
PICK: 220 RND: 7 (BUF)
Roderick Kearney
OG Florida
No Pick Head Shot
PICK: RND: 1 (BUF)
NEXT YEAR (2027)
 
No Pick Head Shot
PICK: RND: 7 (MIA)
NEXT YEAR (2027)
 
Draft Picks Traded
Kadyn Proctor Head Shot
PICK: 7 RND: 1 (MIA)
Kadyn Proctor
OT Alabama
Players Gained
Head Shot
Dion Dawkins
OT
Draft Grade — Commanders
Overall A-
ValueB- NeedB TradesA+ FutureA
The Commanders turned the phones into found money: A-.

The Commanders did not so much draft Patrick Payton as overpay for him, 43 picks clear of his grade. It sets an uneasy tone for the weekend. Very little went wrong, and the A- is earned.

Every deal seemed to tilt their way, which is not luck. However the rest shakes out, Lawson at that price is a win they earned.

They punted on wide receiver, and it is the miss that keeps the grade honest.

Add it up and this is about as clean as a draft weekend gets.

Pick Analysis
Pick24 Rnd1 Joshua Josephs
In pick No. 24 they get a problem off the edge. A real need, handled.
Pick43 Rnd2 Caleb Banks
Quietly one of the better values of the day, Caleb Banks at the 43rd overall pick. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
Pick71 Rnd3 Michael Taaffe
Michael Taaffe slipping to slot 71 is the kind of luck good rooms make for themselves. It thickens a room that could stand to be thicker.
Pick88 Rnd3 Deontae Lawson
Deontae Lawson in the Round 3 slot is the kind of fall that makes a whole class. A minor need, but a need all the same.
Pick111 Rnd4 Jack Endries
Jack Endries in No. 111 is exactly on the number, no argument either way. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
Pick145 Rnd5 Jude Bowry
Nothing to complain about; Jude Bowry went a shade earlier than his grade, which is fine. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
Pick187 Rnd6 Zane Durant
By-the-book stuff, Zane Durant at slot 187 squarely in line with his ranking. A need, and now a little less of one.
Pick198 Rnd6 Patrick Payton
A wild overpay on Patrick Payton in the 198th overall pick, the sort that defines a class for the wrong reasons. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
Pick220 Rnd7 Roderick Kearney
They reached a country mile for Roderick Kearney at the 220th pick, and the board is aghast. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
Pick223 Rnd7 Cam Calhoun
Cam Calhoun at the Round 7 slot is right where the board had him, plain and simple. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.