After going 5-12, there are a lot of obvious needs on this roster. Fortunately, the Commanders own the No. 7 pick in the first round of the 2026 draft, and this class is considered to have a lot of talent at several spots. In most mock drafts, the team selects a defenseman, but it wouldn’t be a bad idea to also add a playmaker for Jayden Daniels.
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Fox Sports’ Rob Rang recently posted an updated mock in which the Commanders follow the latter path. In the Rang mock, the Commanders select Ohio State wide receiver Carnell Tate. Regarding this possible choice, Rang offered the following analysis:
No one needs to remind Washington head coach Dan Quinn of the importance of protecting quarterback Jayden Daniels, and the best way to do that with this pick might be to bolster a receiving corps that, frankly, didn’t live up to expectations. Big and smooth, Tate would add a dynamic presence on the field to add some vitality to a group of receivers that are overly reliant on 30-year-old Terry McLaurin as Deebo Samuel and Zach Ertz head to free agency.
As Rang noted, the Commanders need to get more out of their receivers in 2026. Deebo Samuel, Noah Brown, Treylon Burks and Chris Moore are headed to free agency, and tight end Zach Ertz is coming off a serious injury.
Terry McLaurin remains a capable weapon, but the team desperately needs a young target with upside like Tate. In 2025, Tate played in 11 games for the Buckeyes and caught 51 passes for 875 yards and nine touchdowns. It was the second consecutive season of 50+ receptions and 700+ yards for the talented receiver.
Tate is big enough to make contested catches on the boundary, but he’s also quick enough to get open up the middle of the field. Adding Tate would take pressure off the aging McLaurin and give Daniels another reliable target.
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In Rang’s drill, Tate is the first receiver off the board. Makai Lemon, KC Concepcion and Jordyn Tyson are other receivers who could be the first off the board. Of course, commanders could also decide to go on defense first and head to the receivers room later.
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Washington Commanders Land Elite WR to Help Jayden Daniels in New Drill