The Washington Commanders and young franchise quarterback Jayden Daniels missed the playoffs last season. Just one year removed from an NFC Championship Game run, everything fell apart due to injuries and a couple other factors in 2025.
Despite the disappointing season, the Commanders are close to being a serious contender in the NFC. They have been very active this offseason as they look to get back to the playoffs in 2026.
Among the notable additions for Washington this offseason are defensive end Odafe Oweh, running back Rachaad White, cornerback Amik Robertson, linebacker Leo Chenal, tight end Chig Okonkwo, defensive end K’Lavon Chaisson, and safety Nick Cross.
Clearly, the Commanders have been focused on improving their defense. Now, they need to focus on adding to the wide receiver room to support Daniels.
Commanders Have Swung & Missed in NFL Free Agency
Washington has been a finalist for two key wide receivers in free agency. Both Romeo Doubs and Alec Pierce were targets for the Commanders, but they both chose to sign elsewhere.
There are no high-impact options available that would make much sense for Washington in free agency. Brandon Aiyuk remains a potential target depending on what happens between him and the San Francisco 49ers.
That being said, a new prediction has been made that would see the Commanders land a new weapon for Daniels in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Washington Predicted to Land Clemson’s Antonio Williams
Pro Football Network’s T.J. Randall has predicted that Washington will select Clemson wide receiver Antonio Williams with the No. 71 overall pick in the third round.
“It’s been a while since we heard from Washington. Regardless, it’s wise to optimize their receiver room for quarterback Jayden Daniels, which Antonio Williams is well capable of doing.”
Standing in at 5-foot-11 and 190 pounds, Williams had a great four-year career with the Tigers. He totaled 207 receptions for 2,320 yards and 21 touchdowns in four college seasons.
NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein has provided a look at what to expect from Williams at the professional level.
“Williams is a bona fide ball player with good size and an ability to make mischief when he totes the pigskin. There is freestyling inside his routes that create uncertainty for corners but teams might drill down on attention to detail and better efficiency to keep him on schedule. He’s not a field-stretcher but he plays fast from snap to whistle and has the ball skills to bring in challenging catches,” Zierlein wrote.
“He’s more slippery than explosive with outstanding run-after-catch ability. Williams projects as a productive slot receiver with legitimate run/pass/catch talent that should appeal to creative play-callers.”
At the end of the day, the Commanders have to bring in more firepower for Daniels. Williams would have a chance to be an instant impact player for Washington as a rookie and would be well worth spending a third-round pick on if he’s available.