The Washington Commanders are rumored to be looking to make a trade in Round 1 of the 2026 NFL Draft.
And, the Commanders reportedly have a specific prospect in mind if they accomplish their trade goal.
According to Charlie Campbell of Walter Football, Washington “badly wants to trade down” from the No. 7 overall pick.
When it comes to the Commanders’ top target after a trade down, it’s LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane.
“Speaking with some league sources today, Washington badly wants to trade down from the 7th overall pick,” Campbell said. “The Commanders are without a second-round pick. If they can trade down, a top target for Washington is LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane.”
As things stand now, Washington has a huge gap from its first-round selection, as the team doesn’t pick again until Round 3. The Commanders are also without a fourth-round pick.
The Commanders don’t have their second- and fourth-round picks because of the trade for left tackle Laremy Tunsil with the Houston Texans.
The Commanders are coming off a season in which they sported one of the worst defenses in the NFL despite having a defensive guru as a head coach in Dan Quinn.
Contributing to that putrid showing was a pass defense that was the fifth-worst.
Washington cut Marshon Lattimore earlier this offseason and is lacking a sure starting option opposite Trey Amos, who is also recovering from a fractured fibula.
Delane is widely viewed as a lockdown cornerback and the best in the 2026 NFL Draft class.
The LSU product was nothing short of elite last season after posting the fourth-best Pro Football Focus coverage grade in the nation with a 90.7.
Delane also posted an absurd 31.3 passer rating when targeted.
The Commanders are looking to rebound after a down year and need an immediate impact player in the secondary. Delane is a good bet to be that.
With this being a weak draft class, the expectation is there won’t be many teams looking to trade up.
Adding to that, Washington can’t trade back that far if it wants Delane, as he’s probably a top-10 pick. The cornerback-needy Kansas City Chiefs are a team to watch at No. 9.
Knowing that, the Commanders are almost certainly not going to be able to have their cake and eat it too, meaning they can’t trade back and get both a second-round pick and Delane.
Based on the NFL Draft Trade Value Chart, the best-case scenario is a small trade back that still allows Washington to nab Delane and get a third-round pick.
That might not net the second-round pick Washington wants, but an extra third is better than having just one Day 2 pick, especially if that pick comes with the player the team wants.