, Washington enters 2026 with more than nine days of net rest over its opponents 鈥� meaning across 17 games, the Commanders will enjoy substantially more rest than their opponents on a cumulative basis. That figure ranks fourth in the entire league, alongside Dallas, Buffalo and Chicago.

“In four of the last five seasons prior to this year, they have had negative net rest handed to them by the NFL,” Sharp told 草莓传媒. “So to get not just positive net rest, but plus nine days of net rest should stand out.”

Furthermore, the Commanders will face zero opponents off a bye week, have only one short-week road game and a Week 7 bye placed near the midpoint of the schedule. Sharp noted that Washington’s one rest-disadvantage game is almost an advantage itself.

“They only have one game where they play at a rest disadvantage all year, and it’s only a one-day rest disadvantage that happens to come Week 12 against the Arizona Cardinals, the worst team in the NFL this year,” Sharp said. “So if there’s ever a period where you want to be playing with a rest disadvantage, it’s against the worst team in the NFL.”

And when Washington has had that rest edge, it’s shown up in the results. According to Sharp, the Commanders over the last two seasons are 4-2 straight up in games where they’ve had a rest advantage 鈥� and 3-4 when they haven’t.

There’s one more subtle edge worth noting again after Thursday’s 2026 schedule announcement: Washington’s arguably toughest home games (against Super Bowl champion Seattle and the Los Angeles Rams) are both West Coast teams playing 1 p.m. EST kickoffs. Sharp said that used to be considered an automatic advantage for the home team, and while he cautioned the benefit is now more situational and team-dependent than it once was, he’s clear it is still not a detriment.

“It doesn’t hurt the Commanders to play a 1 p.m. Eastern time game against a West Coast team,” he said.

The 2025 season illustrated why the broader rest picture matters. Washington was among the three worst teams in rest differential, and all three (the Raiders, Commanders and Saints) finished with losing records. Of the five teams with the best rest differential, four had winning records, including the Super Bowl champion Seahawks.

Think about what that means in the NFC East race this year. Washington and Dallas each have just one game with a rest disadvantage. The reigning division champion Philadelphia Eagles have five, including their Week 8 road game at Washington, when the Commanders will be coming off their bye week.

And Sharp’s data on the Eagles in rest-disadvantage spots is striking.

“Since 2015, when playing with three or more days of rest disadvantage 鈥� the Eagles are just seven wins, 14 losses and a tie, straight up and against the spread, recording minus 36% (return on investment),” he said.

For a competitive division that may again come down to one or two games, those margins matter.

“The league has gone on record as trying to say that ‘we don’t believe rest matters,'” Sharp said. “But I think that if you have any level of common sense, you realize that having a slight rest advantage is a benefit.”

Sharp argued the most underappreciated reason why rest matters isn’t about fatigue 鈥� it’s about who can suit up.

“If you’re playing on short rest, a guy gets a concussion, he definitely can’t come back because we’ve got a game on Thursday,” Sharp said. “Whereas if you play on Sunday, maybe there’s a chance I can get this guy back. Same thing with ankle sprains 鈥� a guy might be able to return. So I just think that it’s silly and the data backs it up, that rest does matter.”

Those margins matter physically, competitively and especially late in the season when cumulative fatigue starts showing up on injury reports.

That said, let’s not schedule the Super Bowl parade down Constitution Avenue quite yet. The Commanders still have to prove last season’s 5-12 flameout was the fluke, not the 2024 run to the NFC title game. Jayden Daniels has to stay healthy. The revamped defense still has more questions than answers.

An uncomfortable truth

But pretending the schedule is neutral would be dishonest. And here comes the uncomfortable part.

Washington’s scheduling advantages didn’t come out of a vacuum. They came at other teams’ expense. And the way the NFL constructed this year’s schedule is the latest reason to doubt the sincerity of the league’s stated concern for player safety.

Sharp’s analysis describes the 2026 schedule as the least equitable in NFL history across most key metrics.

The best-rested team, the Chicago Bears, will have 15 more cumulative rest days than their opponents. The worst, the Los Angeles Chargers, will have 24 fewer. That’s a 39-day swing, the largest gap in any NFL season since at least 2000. There will be 110 games out of 272 where one team holds a rest advantage, 40% of all games and the most in NFL history.

Sharp said the league’s scheduling philosophy has quietly but clearly shifted in favor of maximizing matchups most attractive to networks 鈥� and the consequences are predictable.

“By prioritizing that strategy 鈥� they are going to wind up with situations where there are more haves or have-nots, teams that are getting screwed with rest, or teams that are benefiting with rest, because it’s no longer a driver for the league to try to be more balanced in that degree,” he said.

To be fair, the NFL did make genuine improvements in 2026 鈥� eliminating the brutal three-games-in-10-days stretch entirely, reducing four-games-in-17-days situations to just one and cutting down on games played after road Sunday or Monday night appearances. Those are real wins for players.

But Sharp isn’t buying the broader narrative 鈥� and said the fix wouldn’t even be complicated.

“It would not take more than five minutes for them to just make an adjustment in their model,” he said.

The Commanders got lucky in the draw for what is a pivotal season for the franchise. They should take every advantage the calendar offers them and run with it.

But just know the schedule was built not with the health of players in mind, but the health of the league’s own bottom line.

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For your convenience | ️

鈥� Washington Commanders (@Commanders)

The Commanders’ first two games come on the road against division opponents in 4:25 p.m. kickoffs, at Philadelphia and then Dallas in Week 2.

Washington鈥檚 first home game comes in Week 3 against the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks on Sept. 27, marking the franchise鈥檚 latest home opener by date since the strike-shortened 1982 season and its first Week 3 home opener since 2012.

Though teams often get a bye after playing an international game, the Commanders go from the Week 4 game in London to hosting the New York Giants in Week 5.

After four straight years with a late-season bye week, Washington gets Week 7 off, their earliest bye since 2018.

The bye week is between the Commanders’ first primetime games of the season: Week 6 in San Francisco on Monday Night Football on Oct. 19 and Week 8 in a home rematch with the Eagles on Sunday Night Football on Nov. 1.

The rematch with the Giants at the Meadowlands comes on Thursday Night Football to open Week 10 on Nov. 12, providing a long rest before hosting the Cincinnati Bengals for Monday Night Football on Nov. 23.

The Commanders host the Dallas Cowboys to finish the regular season, the fourth time in the last five seasons the two rivals square off in the final week of the season and eighth time since .

Notable facts

The Commanders get the benefit of playing both of the NFC West teams visiting Northwest Stadium (Seattle in Week 3 and the Los Angeles Rams in Week 9) in 1 p.m. kickoffs.

Washington’s 18,491 projected travel miles rank 16th in the NFL but fewer than their NFC East rivals.

Based on projected win totals across the NFL, the Commanders have the league’s eighth-most difficult schedule.

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The Commanders are set to play as the “home team” at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with kickoff at 9:30 a.m., according to a from the team. The game will be televised on NFL Network.

Week 4 across the pond

鈥� Washington Commanders (@Commanders)

Washington last played in London during the 2016 season, a 27-27 tie with the Cincinnati Bengals on Oct. 30 at Wembley Stadium 鈥� the only tie in NFL International Series history 鈥� in front of a sold-out crowd of 84,488.

It’s the second year in a row the Commanders have played abroad. Last season, Washington lost to the Miami Dolphins 16-13 at Bernab茅u Stadium in Madrid, Spain.

The Commanders’ upcoming journey across the pond is part of a nine-game series, with NFL matchups in seven countries. Three of those games are happening in London.

Washington’s local neighbors are also playing an international game this fall. The Baltimore Ravens are slated to play the NFL’s first game in Rio de Janeiro on Sept. 27. The game against the Dallas Cowboys was announced late last month.

The full 2026 NFL schedule will be released Thursday night.聽

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Not a roar 鈥� more like a release. Three years of deliberate losing, 41-home-game slogs through some of the worst basketball this franchise has ever played, of asking season-ticket holders to endure the unwatchable in exchange for a promised future 鈥� all of it finally, mercifully, paid off in one moment.

Because the Wizards winning this particular lottery feels like the one that finally changes everything.

David Aldridge, a senior columnist with The Athletic who covers this league as well as anyone, , and put it simply: This is a basketball town that hasn’t had much to root for. He’s right, and the depth of that truth runs longer than most people realize.

“You look back at the history of basketball in D.C., going back into the ’50s 鈥� Dave Bing, Elgin Baylor played high school basketball here,” Aldridge said. “Georgetown and Maryland both won national championships. 鈥� But the one team that really wasn’t holding its weight was the Wizards and the Bullets. They just haven’t been good for half a century.”

Aldridge, who grew up watching this franchise, didn’t mince words about what Sunday meant.

“The last time this team won 50 games I was 14. That tells you how long ago it was,” he said.

Relief and excitement

Asked whether this lottery win feels like relief or genuine excitement, Aldridge didn’t hesitate.

“It’s both,” he said. “They tanked for three years to have 鈥� as many shots at a top pick as possible. In ’24, they drafted Alex Sarr. Last year, they fell from two to six 鈥� it was devastating. They really hoped to get Cooper Flagg or Dylan Harper. This was the last chance, really, because the next couple of drafts just don’t have this kind of depth.”

草莓传媒’s Dave Preston, who tracked the college landscape all season as an AP Top 25 voter, echoed that sentiment 鈥� and pointed to the fan cost of getting here.

“They’ve been unwatchable in stretches, and especially the finish 鈥� they lost 26 of 27 to end the year,” Preston said. “If you’re a fan, a season-ticket holder who’s sat through this 鈥� even though you understand the big picture 鈥� you’re still having to confront just the mess that’s out there, game after game after game. 鈥� It’s 41 home games and 48 minutes of watching this.”

The prospect: Why Dybantsa?

The consensus answer to “who do you take?” wasn’t complicated. BYU forward AJ Dybantsa 鈥� 6-foot 9-inches tall with a wingspan over 7 feet and the nation’s leading scorer at 25.5 points per game 鈥� is the pick.

Aldridge, who has sources inside the Wizards’ front office, was direct: “They really like AJ Dybantsa. They really do. It will be hard for me 鈥� unless there is a real red flag that nobody knows about 鈥� to see them not taking that guy that they have talked about quietly for the last two years as the one they think can be special.”

His reasoning goes beyond raw talent. Dybantsa fits the physical archetype the Wizards have been deliberately assembling.

“Positionally, six-nine, long, athletic, exactly the type of player they’ve been amassing,” Aldridge said, pointing to Bilal Coulibaly, Kyshawn George, Alex Sarr, Will Riley and Tre Johnson as examples. “They’re all the same guy. They’re long, athletic, switchable positional players. And Dybantsa is that guy, plus a guy that can get to the front of the rim and finish. They don’t have that.”

Preston pointed to a specific stretch that convinced him Dybantsa is the pick: “There was one week where they played Iowa State after playing Arizona on the road 鈥� two top-10 teams at the time. He more than held his own. And it wasn’t as though he was playing with a ton of talent around him.”

That consistency against elite competition, back-to-back nights, without a breather was the proof of concept.

“He proved his mettle against high-level competition (in quick succession),” Preston said. “After playing at Arizona, he went straight into another ranked opponent. 鈥� That really told me this guy isn’t just a numbers manufacturer; this guy is a player.”

What translates immediately: The ability to get to the foul line, the shot creation, the passing instincts. Preston noted a nine-assist game in the Big 12 Tournament.

“He’s been able to be a facilitator. He’s not going to run point, but there’s another passer in the post 鈥� and with the way this Wizards team is constructed, it’s good to have guys who can pass, who can provide a secondary jump-start to a possession,” he said.

What still needs work: 3-point shooting (33% this season) and defensive engagement

“He’s not where you want him to be defensively,” Aldridge acknowledged. “But I don’t think it’s because physically he can’t do it. He’s just not been asked to defend.”

Given that Washington already has Sarr (second in the league in blocks this season), Coulibaly and Anthony Davis as defensive anchors, Dybantsa won’t need to carry that weight early.

Don’t count on a trade down

Despite reports , Aldridge and Preston were both emphatic on this point: Trading back isn’t in the Wizards’ best interest.

“I think it’s a very, very low chance,” Aldridge said. “This front office, with (President of Basketball Operations) Michael Winger and (General Manager) Will Dawkins running the show, they’ve been very intentional. They want to affirmatively say, ‘With the first pick, this is the guy we believe will be the face of the franchise.’ That’s different from trading to two and waiting to see which guy is there. That’s not the same thing.”

“For what they’ve done the last couple seasons to crater their way toward this pick, it would be very interesting if they said, ‘You know what? No, we’ll do this another time,'” Preston added.

Asked to name a trade-down target, Preston offered Keaton Wagler of Illinois: 6-foot-6, a 40% shooter from 3-point range who could stretch the floor.

The rebuild timeline

During last season, the Wizards traded veteran All-Stars Trae Young and Anthony Davis, who have yet to play alongside each other. So how does picking Dybantsa affect them?

“I don’t think it affects Trae Young at all. I think he gets an extension,” Aldridge said. “Davis? We’ll see. I don’t know how you just walk away. You don’t even know what you have yet. You haven’t seen this team play together. They never played a minute together.”

His pitch to Davis’ camp: Give it a year, see what this team actually is and then decide.

As for a realistic timeline, Aldridge was measured.

“Everybody has their welcome-to-the-NBA moment,” he said. “But by the end of next season, he’s going to be growing at an accelerated rate.”

The Wizards’ new floor is a playoff-range team 鈥� seventh through 10th in the East 鈥� as soon as this next season, with the right health and continuity.

“This is a huge pick. This is going to be an exciting time,” Preston said.

The 2026 NBA Draft Combine runs through May 17 in Chicago. The draft itself is June 23 and 24 in Brooklyn, New York.

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The NBA Draft Lottery is a cruel system, and for a long time Washington was its cruelest victim 鈥� always close enough to the odds to believe, never lucky enough to win.

Sunday, that changed when the Wizards won the last draft lottery as we know it, successfully tanking their way to the No. 1 overall pick in a loaded 2026 NBA Draft expected to produce multiple franchise superstars.

For all Washington had to endure to get here 鈥� the NBA鈥檚 first string of three consecutive 64-loss seasons, the inexcusable 83-point outburst from Bam Adebayo, nearly five full decades of toggling between futility and irrelevance 鈥� it appears the third time landing the No. 1 overall pick will truly be the charm.

The first time the Wizards won the lottery, it proved to be no luck at all. As bad as the 2001 Kwame Brown pick looks in hindsight, there wasn鈥檛 a transformational player at the top of that draft (seriously, go back and look 鈥� Pau Gasol was the only top-five choice that would have made a measurable difference).

John Wall (whose presence in Chicago for the lottery draw proved much luckier than聽) was the consensus No. 1 pick in 2010 and the right choice. But for a variety of reasons beyond his singular talent, the Wizards never advanced past the second round of the playoffs.

This time around, I think BYU star AJ Dybantsa is the pick, and there is nothing remotely complicated about it. He is a generational talent, a 6-foot-9 wing who can create his own shot from anywhere, get to the line at will and defend multiple positions 鈥� the kind of player for which franchises wait decades. Plus, his game would be a perfect complement on a roster already loaded with young talent on the perimeter and an ascending big man in Alex Sarr.

What makes this moment even richer is the context surrounding it.

This is the third consecutive year the Wizards have had the highest odds to land a top-four pick 鈥� a run of organizational futility so historically consistent it almost became performance art. Yet the front office, to its credit, never stopped working the margins.

Over the last three years, Washington amassed three top-10 picks and five overall first-rounders, stockpiling the kind of draft capital to build the infrastructure for a franchise cornerstone like Dybantsa to arrive and anchor a young, talented roster, not have to carry it.

D.C. fans have been asked for patience before, of course. They heard it after Wall and his running mate, Bradley Beal. They watched promise dissolve into injury, dysfunction and disappointment so many times that hope started to feel like a form of self harm. It鈥檚 reasonable, maybe even rational, to approach this moment with arms crossed.

But this is different in ways that matter.

The 2026 draft class is deeper than 2001, more certain than 2010. The organizational structure is more stable. The supporting cast of young talent is more developed. And the player at the center of it 鈥� Dybantsa 鈥� is the kind of once-in-a-generation prospect who changes the math on everything.

Of course, tanking to a dynasty is easier said than done 鈥� just ask the Philadelphia 76ers, who bottomed out for years, drafted Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid, had the slogans, had the mandate from the fan base to be patient 鈥� and never once sniffed a Finals appearance. 鈥淭rust the Process鈥� became a punchline precisely because the “process” never paid off, dissolving instead into a soap opera of star trades, locker room dysfunction, and an Embiid legacy defined more by what didn鈥檛 happen than what did.

The lesson from Philadelphia isn鈥檛 that tanking doesn鈥檛 work. It鈥檚 that tanking is only the beginning 鈥� and that the real work, the harder work, comes after the ping pong balls fall your way.

But today, it feels like all the years of suffering weren’t in vain. The Wizards 鈥� a team that’s made losing look like a lifestyle 鈥� hoisting a championship trophy in 2030 is no longer a pipe dream but an attainable goal for a team that now has a foundation for relevance, if not a blueprint for a dynasty.

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NFL analyst Warren Sharp, by the numbers, said Washington maximized value better than anyone. The Athletic’s David Aldridge, as a longtime beat reporter for the team, said the Commanders stayed disciplined and stuck to their board.

Both spoke to 草莓传媒 on Monday to paint a clear picture that the Commanders didn’t chase this year’s draft. They let it come to them.

The numbers: How Washington ‘beat the market’

From an analytical standpoint, the Commanders didn鈥檛 just draft well, they optimized nearly all their picks.

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.

Warren Sharp of any of the 32 NFL teams based on that metric.

best value 2026 NFL draft classes

1. Commanders
2. Panthers
3. Colts
4. Bengals
5. Jets
6. Giants
7. Buccaneers
8. Raiders
9. Falcons
10. Chiefs

see pic for 1-32 plus methodology

READ FULL ANALYSIS:

team-by-team & round-by-round analysis to follow

鈥� Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball)

Based on the metric, the Commanders posted an NFL-best -1.71, despite having the eighth-least draft capital 鈥� maximizing all but their seventh-round selection of Rutgers quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis.

But Sharp didn’t necessarily consider it a reach by the Commanders.

鈥淚 was a little surprised that they went with that quarterback,” Sharp said. “But 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.”

The concept is simple: If a player expected to go in the second round is still available in the fourth, that鈥檚 value. Stack enough of those decisions, and you鈥檙e effectively gaining extra draft capital without making a single trade.

That鈥檚 exactly what Washington did in 2026, while GM Peters’ former team floundered without him.

The Peters effect: A tale of two franchises

Sharp made the fascinating comparison between the Commanders and San Francisco 49ers since Peters’ 2024 departure to become the general manager in Washington.

The Commanders are now ascending in what the 49ers used to do well 鈥� finding value across the board 鈥� while San Francisco has drifted toward drafting for need and reaching for preferred players.

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.

But last year, Washington climbed to No. 11. And now, the team is No. 1.

That trajectory suggests a front office that’s evolving at the perfect time to ride a (hopefully healthy) Jayden Daniels back to title contention while he’s on a cheaper rookie contract through the 2027 season.

“It does take time and several years of drafting good players better than expected to build up a roster,” Sharp said. “But 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’ve got a window here with Jayden Daniels.”

“I think Adam Peters has been pretty consistent, both in his word and his deed,” Aldridge said. “He 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’t think they draft for need.”

Sharp pointed out that while the Commanders were No. 1 in his metric this year, the 49ers were 32nd.

“(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,” Sharp said.

Sharp added the Niners are “very lucky that a ‘Mr. Irrelevant’ Brock Purdy, the very last player drafted, ended up performing as well as he had.”

The measurable shift hasn’t necessarily hurt San Francisco in the standings; they’ve advanced to two Super Bowls over the last seven seasons and were one game better than Washington’s 17-17 record over the last two seasons. But Sharp said that over time, the draft flops compound.

鈥淵es, they’ve won games, but they haven’t won the Super Bowl,” Sharp said. “So 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. 鈥� That is limiting their upside if they were drafting some better players.”

The reality check

The reality of any NFL Draft is that we won’t 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.

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.

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 “unlock Frankie Luvu.”

“Styles, if he plays to his capabilities and is a quick student, and adapts quickly to the pro game that he’s going to change the board 鈥� he’s just that level of player,” Aldridge said, adding that Caleb Downs could have helped too.

Aldridge said there could be an immediate role for fifth-round pick Joshua Josephs 鈥� perhaps Washington’s best value at No. 146 overall when he was expected to go 77th, according to Sharp.

“I don’t think anybody’s thinking of him as a three-down guy,” Aldridge said of Josephs. “He seems like he’s a situational pass rushing guy. He can put his hand down or they’ll probably, given this defense, move him around some in all likelihood.”

Aldridge pointed out Washington still has holes, especially at corner 鈥� the one “needed” position the Commanders failed to address in the draft.

Sharp added that while the Commanders got measurably better, so did their division rivals.

“By 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,” Sharp said.

The takeaway

This draft represents marked improvement in the Commanders’ speed, youth, depth and perhaps most important 鈥� front office alignment.

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.

Because in the NFL, you don鈥檛 win just by hitting on stars.聽You win by stacking value.

And in 2026, the Commanders may have done that better than anyone.

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The addition of Styles is a much-needed one for a Washington defense that finished 27th in points allowed per game and 32nd in yards allowed per game last season.

Styles played 55 games and made 41 starts over his four years with the Buckeyes. He was a co-captain as a senior in 2025, and led the team with 82 tackles and 46 solo tackles. The 21-year-old earned first-team All-America and first-team All-Big Ten Conference honors.

Styles, who stands at 6-feet 5-inches and is listed at 244 pounds, has a history of playing both safety and linebacker at the college level. His athleticism and versatility are believed to be a strong fit for coach Dan Quinn’s defense in Washington.

Styles wore the green dot on his helmet as the proverbial quarterback and team captain of the Buckeyes’ defense. In Columbus,聽 and projects to be the perfect heir to free agent Bobby Wagner 鈥� and Adam Peters鈥� version of Fred Warner, the 49ers’ four-time All-Pro linebacker he helped draft in San Francisco.

Styles is a second-generation NFLer 鈥� his father, Lorenzo Styles Sr., also played linebacker at Ohio State before a six-year NFL career highlighted by a Super Bowl XXXIV win with the Rams.

Brother Lorenzo Styles Jr. converted from receiver at Notre Dame to cornerback at Ohio State and is eligible for the 2026 NFL Draft.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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While the response wasn’t overwhelming, it didn’t need to be 鈥� it’s quite clear this fan base isn鈥檛 aligned on how the Commanders should approach this pick, just that the use of the No. 7 pick needs to be a home run.

There鈥檚 no consensus choice at No. 7, although support for Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love stands out in a small sample.

Fan opinion falls into three camps: best player available, draft for need or trade back.

Best player available

Chris in Woodbridge, Virginia, called in to break it down as simply as possible: “Don’t overthink it! Take the best player available,” he said.

This is where most fans fall, which fits conventional NFL Draft wisdom.

Always a fan of BPA, a player deemed elite who can start right away and make an immediate impact. Can still use talent on both sides of the ball so BPA is my only answer. ‍

鈥� K Raising Hail (@karebear888)

Count 草莓传媒 Traffic Reporter Reada Kessler among them (she’s fan of the Burgundy and Gold to the degree that she’s in Pittsburgh to see the draft live). She made the case for two players at non-premium positions: Ohio State safety Caleb Downs 鈥� but only as fallback option for Love.

“I think we never should have traded Brian Robinson Jr.,” Reada said. “The combo of Love and Bill (Croskey-Merritt) could be magic.”

Eddie in Maryland, another call-in entry, offered a similar sentiment.

“He’s not just a running back, he’s a weapon,” he said of Love. “What Jayden (Daniels) needs is weapons.”

Andrew in Takoma Park called in and joined the chorus for Love with the seventh overall pick but prefers a potential selection of Downs, calling it “a sexy pick.”

That falls in line with our small sample size of respondents, who like Love and Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles at No. 7.

And out of these rumored options for the , which would be your preferred pick?

鈥� Rob Woodfork (@RobWoodfork)

Draft for need

Anyone who watched the Commanders in 2025 knows how badly the team needs help at wide receiver 鈥� and since the team didn’t get any high-end upgrades in free agency, drafting a receiver high as a complement to (or eventual replacement for) Terry McLaurin is a desirable option.

As of Wednesday evening, . But Kessler doesn’t want to see the Commanders force the issue there.

“I think we can get a good receiver in a later round,” Kessler said.

Eddie said of the Commanders:聽“You try to get a wide receiver, you guys are reaching 鈥� (Pick No.) 71 is where you get your wide receiver.”

With only six total selections in this draft, the Commanders have no picks to waste, which is at the heart of the third camp’s case.

Trade down

The value is trade down. You can add both a 2nd and 4th rounder. Thats 4 potential starters VS. 2. (Currently we only have a 1st and 3rd.

鈥� Anthony Conway (@AnthonyConway00)

Generally speaking, it is sound draft logic to multiply your picks 鈥� especially for a team like the Commanders with a laundry list of needs and precious few players that count as quality, young depth.

Chris in Woodbridge, albeit in passing, was the only one of the call-in responses to make the case for a trade back, although many on social media advocate for such a move.

Rob’s take

I said this on air in 草莓传媒’s new commentary, “DC Sports, Filtered,” and again on the DC Sports Huddle podcast: The Commanders need quality more than quantity.

This draft isn鈥檛 viewed as especially deep at the top 鈥� and of the few elite prospects, many play non-premium positions that NFL conventional wisdom says not to select early. That creates a real possibility that one of the three best overall players could still be available at No. 7.

For a team in desperate need of impact players beyond (and, hopefully, complementing) Jayden Daniels, the chance to land a true difference-maker is more valuable than moving back hoping to hit on multiple picks.

The bottom line

Even with limited feedback, the divide is clear.

Commanders fans aren’t just split on who the team should draft 鈥� they’re split on the approach.

Three paths, no consensus. And, a decision that could shape the direction of the franchise.

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“I think we’ve seen Alex Ovechkin play his final game,” Raby said Wednesday following the Caps’ 2-1 win in Columbus to close out the regular season. “That said, I don’t think this is as simple as it may appear, as far as, ‘Oh, he has a decision to make.’ I do think there’s some layers to it.”

Plenty of people will be in Ovechkin’s ear this offseason.

“He’ll meet with management, his doctors, his family, etc.,” Raby said. “I think, from what I understand, the team might be more prepared for this, might be more ready to move on than Ovechkin is.”

That’s the fascinating aspect of this story: Franchise greats knowing when to step away before the team makes the decision for them. But Raby said that, while the team is ready to turn the page from the Ovechkin era, it doesn’t mean they’ll push him out the door.

“I should be clear that doesn’t mean they’re tired of Ovechkin or his act,” Raby said. “When Barry Bonds and the Giants parted ways, there was an act that came with that. When the Packers turned the page on Brett Favre, there was a bit of an act with that. Alex Ovechkin the person 鈥� he’s always welcome around the Capitals.”

Raby said the Capitals organization has a plan for 2026-27 that includes both sides of the Ovechkin retirement decision.

“To the Capitals’ credit, they have prepared themselves,” Raby said of the Caps’ life after Ovi. “They’ve put themselves in position with a young core, a young nucleus. Look, you could never single-handedly fill Alex Ovechkin’s skates, but they have set themselves up that these aren’t going to be dark seasons up ahead. Whether Ovechkin retires now or a year from now, the team is set up for some sustained success on the other side of Ovechkin.”

Raby said continuing to play Ovechkin next season, which would begin around his 41st birthday in mid-September, would not be detrimental to the development of younger players for one key reason: The pivot to life after Ovi is likely to begin whether or not he’s on the team.

“As Alex Ovechkin saw this year, his minutes might be even more limited,” Raby said. “We saw this year 鈥� his minutes, his usage, it was a little bit different. Leaning on him, for example, less than they would have in years past, and maybe utilizing him in different situations as compared to years past, when he played heavy minutes.”

Raby added that part of the reason for the transition is the Capitals’ proverbial cupboard isn’t bare, and the organization values its current mix of grizzled veterans, young up-and-comers and midtier tenured players.

“This past season as a rookie, Ryan Leonard already hit 20 goals,” Raby said. “Tom Wilson 鈥� he still has some tread left on the tires. He’s going to be here for years to come, your captain in waiting.”

The team has youth up and down the depth chart to transition into a new era.

“You also had double digit goals from a rookie lower down the depth chart, not a household name, Justin Sourdif,” Raby said. “They are not single-handedly filling Alex Ovechkin’s skates, but they are pieces.”

With Wilson in line to be the new captain of the Capitals, Raby said he’s not on the trade block, but perhaps younger pieces could be dangled to add some elite scoring up front.

“It’s actually a very thin free agent class,” Raby said. “I think there is an appetite to add through trades, as the Capitals have shown a knack for doing over the years. T.J. Oshie, once upon a time, was a pretty blockbuster trade acquisition. I think there is an appetite to do what they weren’t able to a year ago.”

The Great 8 had an all-time great 21 seasons in Washington. Whether or not Ovechkin comes back for Season 22, this isn鈥檛 about when the Capitals turn the page 鈥� it鈥檚 about the fact they already have.

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55 years in Washington and a lifetime of memories

There will never be another quite like Sonny

鈥� Washington Commanders (@Commanders)

Let’s start with affable, lovable and indomitable 鈥� because a simple Google search (and this AP article) will reveal Jurgensen was a five-time Pro Bowler, led the NFL in passing yardage five times and still holds multiple Washington franchise passing records more than 50 years after his retirement.

But for a middle-aged man like me who never saw Jurgensen play in the NFL, he’s still a banner figure in Burgundy and Gold history. He’s almost Washington’s version of John Madden 鈥� an outstanding franchise legend who later became even more iconic as a broadcaster.

If you dust off an old VHS tape of the great Super Bowl runs of the 1980s and early ’90s, you’ll hear Jurgensen, Sam Huff and Frank Herzog on the radio broadcasts of Washington’s golden era of football. They were the soundtrack of those title runs and part of the fabric of the D.C. region’s love affair with the team.

“Everybody loved Frank Herzog, Sam Huff and Sonny Jurgensen 鈥� iconic and everyone is measured against them,” longtime CBS Sports host James Brown (a D.C. legend in his own right) told 草莓传媒 on Friday.

His soft-spoken, Southern drawl further enhanced his trademark sense of humor often displayed on Channel 4’s legendary “Redskins Report” 鈥� a must-see discussion hosted by the late, great George Michael about the Burgundy and Gold on the eve of game day. Young fans like me loved that Jurgensen was always the homer of the show, picking Washington to win virtually every game.

What a gift, given his remarkable playing career.

Those who saw Jurgensen sling it call him one of the best pure passers in NFL history 鈥� a gunslinger ahead of his time in an era when the forward pass was still in its relative infancy and the road to ultimate victory was paved by great running backs.

“Today, the game is more offensively focused and it’s a passing attack with all of these young quarterbacks who are doing great things,” Brown said. “Sonny Jurgensen was as excellent as any of today’s young quarterbacks at a time when they were dominating and focusing on the run game.”

Brown cited Jurgensen’s famous behind-the-back pass in 1961, comparable to the on-field exploits of Patrick Mahomes.

As Casserly alluded to later in the interview, one of the great “what-ifs” in Washington franchise history is how Jurgensen’s legacy would have formed had Vince Lombardi lasted more than one season with the Burgundy and Gold. In 1969, Jurgensen led the NFL in passing attempts, completions, completion percentage and passing yards, and spoke glowingly of playing for the legendary Green Bay Packers coach for many years after his death in 1970.

With George Allen’s run-first, defense-oriented approach came the arrival of Billy Kilmer and the advent of a yearslong quarterback controversy in Washington.

Which brings to mind another “what-if” 鈥� were it not for Jurgensen’s injury in 1972, perhaps Washington would have stopped the Dolphins from completing the first (and still only) undefeated season in NFL history. After all, Jurgensen completed a whopping 66.1% of his passes and the Burgundy and Gold went 4-0 in games he started in that year.

Even still, Jurgensen’s greatness shined through. In his final season in 1974, while still splitting time with Kilmer, Jurgensen made only four starts but still threw for 1,185 yards and 11 touchdowns 鈥� and did it at the age of 40.

Like I said, affable, lovable and indomitable.

Rest in peace, Sonny Jurgensen 鈥� and thanks for the memories.

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Jayden Daniels leads Washington back from an early 14-0 deficit to stun Baltimore in the final minute and win Super Bowl MVP.

How did we get there? 草莓传媒鈥檚 Rob Woodfork predicts the path to Super Bowl LX in Santa Clara, California.

Here’s the playoff run (seeding in parentheses):

Wild card聽

AFC: Chiefs (2) over Chargers (7), Bengals (6) over Texans (3), Bills (4) over Broncos (5)

NFC: Rams (7) over 49ers (2), Packers (3) over Lions (6), Eagles (5) over Bucs (4)

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AFC: Ravens (1) over Bengals (6), Chiefs (2) over Bills (4)

NFC: Commanders (1) over Rams (7), Eagles (5) over Packers (3)

Conference

AFC: Ravens (1) over Chiefs (2)

NFC: Commanders (1) over Eagles (5)

NFL Awards

Offensive Rookie of the Year: Ashton Jeanty, Raiders

Defensive Rookie of the Year: Malaki Starks, Ravens

Offensive Player of the Year: Jayden Daniels, Commanders

Defensive Player of the Year: Kyle Hamilton, Ravens

Protector of the Year: Penei Sewell, Lions

Comeback Player of the Year: Aidan Hutchinson, Lions

MVP: Jayden Daniels, Commanders

Coach of the Year: Dan Quinn, Commanders

**Note: Daniels and Quinn arguably should have won their respective awards in 2024, so this is a makeup call by voters.

Top of NFL draft order:

1. Browns

2. Saints

3. Titans

4. Panthers

5. Vikings

31. Ravens

32. Commanders

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Playoffs and Awards

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