The Washington Commanders are heading into a prove-it year with Jayden Daniels. After an explosive rookie outing in 2024, the roster was reminded how vicious the NFL can be in 2025. The team is now in danger of falling into a situation in which the 2024 breakout becomes labelled a fluke.
With free agency in the rear-view mirror, the franchise has one more chance to load up on players who give the team the best chance to succeed. Here’s a look at three players Washington needs to put at the top of its big board.
Who Washington Commanders Need To Prioritize In First Round
#3 – Rueben Bain Jr., Edge, Miami
If the other players are taken by the time Washington is on the clock at No. 7, Rueben Bain Jr. will go a long way toward keeping scores low enough for Jayden Daniels to match. Bain earned 15.5 tackles for loss and 9.5 sacks in 2025.
The Commanders, which already had a solid foundation with the 14th most sacks in the NFL last season, could jump well into the top 10 with the addition of Bain. Of course, the team has bigger needs, but it could still benefit greatly from his addition.
#2 – Jordyn Tyson, WR, USC
While the Washington Commanders could limp through the 2026 season with the soon-to-be 31-year-old Terry McLaurin and roll the dice with Luke McCaffrey, adding a top receiver is critical to the future of the offense. If Washington skips the position this year, it could need to spend two top draft picks on the room next year.
Jordyn Tyson is seen by many as the top wide receiver prospect in the class this year and could be a big boost in perhaps the biggest year of Jayden Daniels’ career.
At No. 7, Washington will have a chance, but only one, to get the set-and-forget receiver who can solidify the position group for years to come and put the offense in a position to be a cornerstone of the team for another season.
#1 – Caleb Downs, S, Ohio State
While the offense still has some pieces that could keep it afloat, the team’s secondary is in need of quite a bit. However, Caleb Downs could do quite a bit to add some teeth to a position group that allowed the 28th-most passing yards per game in the NFL in 2026.
Downs led the SEC in solo tackles and won a championship in his first two years, which is more than most college players accomplish in their careers.
He showed the ability to do some of everything, logging 12.5 tackles for loss and four interceptions in his last two seasons and finished ninth in voting for the Heisman. As a safety, that says a lot. He wouldn’t complete the defense overnight, but he would give the unit a fighting chance.
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