The Washington Commanders finished with a 5-12 record last season in the NFL. Washington missed the playoffs after making it to the NFC Championship Game the previous season. The Commanders will have the seventh overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Washington no doubt needs to draft defensive talent in the first round.
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Jan 4, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Washington Commanders quarterback Josh Johnson (14) runs off the field after a victory against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
It was once again a weakness for this football team during the 2025 NFL season. If Washington were to not draft a talented pass rusher in the first-round of the 2026 NFL Draft, it would feel like a major failure on general manager Adam Peters and the front office. However, is there a chance that the Commanders could potentially look elsewhere for talent in the 2026 NFL Draft?
PFF Has the Washington Commanders Shockingly Drafting RB Jeremiyah Love In Latest Mock Draft
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Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love (4) runs with the ball during the first half of a NCAA football game against Navy at Notre Dame Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 8, 2025, in South Bend.
Profootballfocus.com writer Gordon McGuinness created his latest three round NFL mock draft for the 2026 calendar year. With Washington having the seventh overall pick, he made an interesting choice in the latest mock draft for their franchise. He has the Commanders selecting running back Jeremiyah Love from the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. McGuinness said,
“An edge defender would be a strong consideration here for the Commanders, and they’d likely sprint the card in for either Rueben Bain Jr. or David Bailey. However, there’s something to be said for adding an elite talent if one falls. Love, who earned PFF overall grades above 90.0 in each of the past two seasons, could pairJayden Danielsto give the Commanders their version of theBaltimore Ravens‘ rushing attack featuringLamar Jacksonand Derrick Henry.”
Having Jayden Daniels and Love on the same team would no doubt cause problems for other defenses. With that being said, Washington needs to find pass rushers instead. Love is no doubt going to be drafted in the Top 10 during the 2026 NFL Draft. During the 2025 college football season with Notre Dame, he rushed for 1,372 yards on 199 carries and 18 touchdowns. Love averaged 6.9 yards per carry. He is 6’0″ and weighs 214 lbs.
He also caught 27 passes for 280 yards receiving and three touchdowns, along with averaging 10.4 yards per reception. Love would no doubt be a threat in the run game and in the passing game as well. This would be a nice selection for Washington no doubt, but there is so much pass rushing talent in this draft that it would be hard to see this team passing up on that.
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