With Terry McLaurin now dealing with a season-ending, and possibly Commanders tenure-ending, torn patellar tendon injury, Washington’s wide receiver future suddenly looks a lot thinner. Stefon Diggs is only on a one-year deal, and the only real long-term piece on the roster at the position is third-round rookie Antonio Williams.
That means help is going to be needed. Just not the kind some fans may already be dreaming about.
The idea of Washington landing Jeremiah Smith in the 2027 NFL Draft sounds tempting on paper, especially with that draft set to be held in D.C. But unless this season completely falls apart, the Commanders probably won’t be picking high enough to have a real shot at him.
Smith has climbed all the way into first-overall conversation, and Washington’s own standing makes him feel out of reach. The Commanders are 1-4-1, but that record doesn’t fully tell the story.
They’ve been through a brutal schedule, beat the defending Super Bowl champions for their lone win, and just took a coin-flip road loss to an undefeated San Francisco 49ers team. Before that, they were in control against the Indianapolis Colts until they were forced to go to their third-string quarterback.
Even with the rough start, Washington still looks more like a middle-of-the-pack team than a top-pick contender. The most likely path is a finish with at least six or seven wins.
Over their next eight games, they’ll also have one of the league’s easiest stretches, and Jayden Daniels now has a bye week to let his dislocated elbow heal. He’s already been playing through it with a brace and has not looked any worse for wear.
Short of another injury spiral or a total collapse under Dan Quinn, the Commanders are likely headed for the middle of the draft order rather than the top few selections. And that’s where the Ohio State star is expected to be long gone.
Part of the reason Smith has surged so far is that the quarterback class at the top has not lived up to its billing. Texas quarterback Arch Manning continues to underwhelm, while Oregon’s Dante Moore is hurt. Meanwhile, Smith has pushed himself into Heisman Trophy favorite territory while driving the Buckeyes’ offense, and recent mocks have even slotted him as high as No. 1 overall.
Washington should still have receiver options if Smith is off the board. Texas’s Cam Coleman, Indiana’s Charlie Becker and Nick Marsh are among the names mentioned, and more prospects are sure to surface as the season and pre-draft process continue.
Smith is the kind of receiver who could change an offense the moment he arrives, but that kind of projection always comes with risk. The same kind of hype followed Marvin Harrison Jr., and the NFL has a way of humbling even the safest-looking bets. For Washington, the bigger reality is simpler: they’ll have to keep building, developing, and making due with whoever ends up available.
In Other News...
Dan Quinns Bye Week Reset Could Hit One Commanders Starter Hard
The bye week has given Dan Quinn and the Commanders a chance to reassess a defense that has not played up to expectation lately, and the reset could come with some real personnel shuffling. Quinn has already brought in Steve Wilks to help with defensive game-planning, a sign the staff is looking for fresh answers as it tries to steady a unit that has left too many questions on the table.
Up front, Tim Settle Jr. has been part of the conversation because his start to the season has not quite matched the teams hopes, and the staff does not seem locked into the current setup. If Washington decides it needs a different look in the middle, the change could mean more of a rotation at nose tackle rather than a clean handoff to one starter, with Shy Tuttle in the mix as the defense searches for a better fit. [Read more 🡒]
Commanders Deadline Decision Could Reveal How Adam Peters Sees This Season
The Commanders are at their bye week with a 1-4-1 record, and the pause comes at a time when the front office has to decide what this season is really about. General manager Adam Peters has already been forced to balance patience with urgency, and with the Eagles and Rams coming up next, the organization is about to get a clearer read on whether it views this group as a seller, a tweener or something in between.
Jason La Canfora has suggested the trade deadline could say plenty about how Washington is seeing itself right now, especially if the current slide keeps going. A cautious approach would leave veteran players in place, but the next two home games could shape whether Peters and the staff think this roster still has enough life to justify standing pat or whether a bigger reset starts to look unavoidable. [Read more 🡒]
Jayden Daniels Still Has One Costly Issue Commanders Can't Ignore
Jayden Daniels has given the Commanders plenty to feel good about early on, but the recent film has also shown the kind of situational mistakes that can linger if they are not cleaned up quickly. A late-game lapse against the New York Giants and a questionable sequence against the San Francisco 49ers put a spotlight on decision-making in key moments, and head coach Dan Quinn did not try to dodge the issue when he addressed it publicly.
Quinn framed the mistakes as part of the ongoing growth process with a young quarterback, stressing that communication between the two remains part of the weekly work. Daniels has still looked like the long-term answer for Washington, but the Commanders know the next step is making sure the impressive play is paired with sharper awareness when the game tightens up. [Read more 🡒]