![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/AP26114710424387.jpg\"\/)
\n Washington Commanders general manager Adam Peters speaks during a news conference at the team’s NFL practice facility Friday, April 24, 2026, in Ashburn, Va. (AP Photo\/Mark Schiefelbein)(AP\/Mark Schiefelbein)<\/p>\n
NFL analyst Warren Sharp, by the numbers, said the Washington Commanders maximized value better than anyone in the 2026 NFL Draft.<\/p>\n
\n Washington Commanders general manager Adam Peters speaks during a news conference at the team’s NFL practice facility Friday, April 24, 2026, in Ashburn, Va. (AP Photo\/Mark Schiefelbein)(AP\/Mark Schiefelbein)<\/p>\n
\n Washington Commanders general manager Adam Peters speaks during a news conference at the team’s NFL practice facility Friday, April 24, 2026, in Ashburn, Va. (AP Photo\/Mark Schiefelbein)(AP\/Mark Schiefelbein)<\/p>\n
The Washington Commanders had only six selections in the 2026 NFL Draft, yet from two perspectives \u2014 analytics and experience \u2014 they may have had the best draft in the entire league behind the rapid rise of general manager Adam Peters.<\/p>\n
NFL analyst Warren Sharp, by the numbers, said Washington maximized value better than anyone. The Athletic\u2019s David Aldridge, as a longtime beat reporter for the team, said the Commanders stayed disciplined and stuck to their board.<\/p>\n
Both spoke to WTOP on Monday to paint a clear picture that the Commanders didn\u2019t chase this year\u2019s draft. They let it come to them.<\/p>\n
The numbers: How Washington \u2018beat the market\u2019<\/p>\n
From an analytical standpoint, the Commanders didn\u2019t just draft well, they optimized nearly all their picks.<\/p>\n
According to Sharp, Washington finished No. 1 in draft capital over expectation, a metric that compares where players were projected to be selected versus where they actually went.<\/p>\n
Warren Sharp rated the Commanders\u2019 draft the most valuable<\/a> of any of the 32 NFL teams based on that metric.<\/p>\n best value 2026 NFL draft classes<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n 1. Commanders
<\/p>\n see pic for 1-32 plus methodology<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n READ FULL ANALYSIS:https:\/\/t.co\/RaVIrqOuUj<\/a><\/p>\n
<\/p>\n team-by-team & round-by-round analysis to follow pic.twitter.com\/P9BAQwNGHW<\/a><\/p>\n
<\/p>\n \u2014 Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) April 25, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n
<\/p>\n Based on the metric, the Commanders posted an NFL-best -1.71, despite having the eighth-least draft capital \u2014 maximizing all but their seventh-round selection of Rutgers quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis.<\/p>\n But Sharp didn\u2019t necessarily consider it a reach by the Commanders.<\/p>\n \u201cI was a little surprised that they went with that quarterback,\u201d Sharp said. \u201cBut overall, I think that they identified a need and they thought he fit their system a little bit better, or potentially could develop a little bit further, than (Garrett) Nussmeier.\u201d<\/p>\n The concept is simple: If a player expected to go in the second round is still available in the fourth, that\u2019s value. Stack enough of those decisions, and you\u2019re effectively gaining extra draft capital without making a single trade.<\/p>\n That\u2019s exactly what Washington did in 2026, while GM Peters\u2019 former team floundered without him.<\/p>\n The Peters effect: A tale of two franchises<\/p>\n Sharp made the fascinating comparison between the Commanders and San Francisco 49ers since Peters\u2019 2024 departure to become the general manager in Washington.<\/p>\n The Commanders are now ascending in what the 49ers used to do well \u2014 finding value across the board \u2014 while San Francisco has drifted toward drafting for need and reaching for preferred players.<\/p>\n The Commanders were below average in draft capital over expectation in the 2023 (the last year of the Ron Rivera regime) and 2024 (Year 1 of Peters) drafts, consistently reaching for players.<\/p>\n But last year, Washington climbed to No. 11. And now, the team is No. 1.<\/p>\n That trajectory suggests a front office that\u2019s evolving at the perfect time to ride a (hopefully healthy) Jayden Daniels back to title contention while he\u2019s on a cheaper rookie contract through the 2027 season.<\/p>\n \u201cIt does take time and several years of drafting good players better than expected to build up a roster,\u201d Sharp said. \u201cBut after a couple of years of doing that, your roster will now be filled with really elite players. And I think for the Commanders, the key is we\u2019ve got a window here with Jayden Daniels.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI think Adam Peters has been pretty consistent, both in his word and his deed,\u201d Aldridge said. \u201cHe does not deviate much from the board. So to your point, if they saw guys that were still there a half-round or better later than they probably should have been, they just went for that guy. I don\u2019t think they draft for need.\u201d<\/p>\n Sharp pointed out that while the Commanders were No. 1 in his metric this year, the 49ers were 32nd.<\/p>\n \u201c(Peters) brought with him a strategy that had a lot of success in finding value, and his absence in San Francisco helped cause them to probably draft too much for need, not as much for value, and be the worst team in the league in this metric,\u201d Sharp said.<\/p>\n Sharp added the Niners are \u201cvery lucky that a \u2018Mr. Irrelevant\u2019 Brock Purdy, the very last player drafted, ended up performing as well as he had.\u201d<\/p>\n The measurable shift hasn\u2019t necessarily hurt San Francisco in the standings; they\u2019ve advanced to two Super Bowls over the last seven seasons and were one game better than Washington\u2019s 17-17 record over the last two seasons. But Sharp said that over time, the draft flops compound.<\/p>\n \u201cYes, they\u2019ve won games, but they haven\u2019t won the Super Bowl,\u201d Sharp said. \u201cSo what could they have done if they actually were drafting better? John Lynch has a track record of being bottom five at drafting for value over the last four years overall. \u2026 That is limiting their upside if they were drafting some better players.\u201d<\/p>\n The reality check<\/p>\n The reality of any NFL Draft is that we won\u2019t truly know how well a team did until the players selected have an opportunity to develop, which typically takes at least two to three years.<\/p>\n We here in Washington know that well: Robert Griffin III and Chase Young won Rookie of the Year on their respective sides of the ball for the Burgundy and Gold but never became the franchise cornerstones they projected to be, while less-heralded players like Terry McLaurin became a team leader and Pro Bowler.<\/p>\n With that caveat, Aldridge said the Sonny Styles pick at No. 7 overall will bolster a linebacker corps that added free agent Leo Chenal and will also \u201cunlock Frankie Luvu.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cStyles, if he plays to his capabilities and is a quick student, and adapts quickly to the pro game that he\u2019s going to change the board \u2014 he\u2019s just that level of player,\u201d Aldridge said, adding that Caleb Downs could have helped too.<\/p>\n Aldridge said there could be an immediate role for fifth-round pick Joshua Josephs \u2014 perhaps Washington\u2019s best value at No. 146 overall when he was expected to go 77th, according to Sharp.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t think anybody\u2019s thinking of him as a three-down guy,\u201d Aldridge said of Josephs. \u201cHe seems like he\u2019s a situational pass rushing guy. He can put his hand down or they\u2019ll probably, given this defense, move him around some in all likelihood.\u201d<\/p>\n Aldridge pointed out Washington still has holes, especially at corner \u2014 the one \u201cneeded\u201d position the Commanders failed to address in the draft.<\/p>\n Sharp added that while the Commanders got measurably better, so did their division rivals.<\/p>\n \u201cBy my metrics, the New York Giants had the sixth-best draft. The Dallas Cowboys had the 13th and the Philadelphia Eagles had the 16th, in terms of draft capital over expectation. So none of these teams were below average,\u201d Sharp said.<\/p>\n The takeaway<\/p>\n This draft represents marked improvement in the Commanders\u2019 speed, youth, depth and perhaps most important \u2014 front office alignment.<\/p>\n This roster is being built with intention and a strategy that, if executed consistently, can elevate Washington back to a Super Bowl contender in due time.<\/p>\n Because in the NFL, you don\u2019t win just by hitting on stars.\u00a0You win by stacking value.<\/p>\n And in 2026, the Commanders may have done that better than anyone.<\/p>\n Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u00a9 2026 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.<\/p>\n
2. Panthers
3. Colts
4. Bengals
5. Jets
6. Giants
7. Buccaneers
8. Raiders
9. Falcons
10. Chiefs<\/p>\n