Commanders' biggest winners and losers from 2026 NFL Draft
Who came away as the biggest winners and losers from the Commanders' 2026 draft?
The Washington Commanders added six players in the 2026 NFL Draft, including four on offense and two on defense. GM Adam Peters focused more on defense in free agency and also used Washington's first-round pick, No. 7 overall, on linebacker Sonny Styles.
Of course, with every new draft class, there are winners and losers. Newcomers could replace veterans, or, at the very least, push them for a starting job. It could also impact other veterans' potential chances of a return.
Then, from the other perspective, if a team chooses not to address a position in the NFL draft, that could be good news for a holdover. Here are the Commanders ' biggest winners and losers from the 2026 draft. Winner: QB Athan Kaliakmanis The Commanders hosted Kaliakmanis on a top-30 visit, despite not needing a quarterback.
This could be because new offensive coordinator David Blough likes him and sees him as a potential long-term backup to Jayden Daniels. Kaliakmanis has played plenty of football, and the fact that Washington used a pick on him means the team likes him. Loser: QB Sam Hartman Hartman served as the practice-squad quarterback for the last two seasons.