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The Washington Commanders had only six selections in the 2026 NFL Draft, yet from two perspectives — analytics and experience — they may have had the best draft in the entire league behind the rapid rise of general manager Adam Peters.

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 ²ÝÝ®´«Ã½ 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’t 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

— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball)

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

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

“I 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’s value. Stack enough of those decisions, and you’re effectively gaining extra draft capital without making a single trade.

That’s 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 — finding value across the board — 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.

“Yes, 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. … 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 — 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 — 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 — 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 — 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’t win just by hitting on stars. You win by stacking value.

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

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