The Commanders entered Day 3 of the NFL Draft with four selections: one in Round 5, two in Round 6, and one in Round 7.
Below are quick capsules of the players selected to join No. 7 overall pick Sonny Styles and No. 71 overall selection Antonio Williams as the Commanders’ rookie class:
ROUND 5, NO. 147 OVERALL: EDGE Joshua Josephs, Tennessee
Josephs was a contributor for all four of his seasons in Knoxville, two years as a starter, and he had 104 tackles, 9.5 sacks, and eight pass breakups in his career.
"Part of the hockey defensive line rotation at Tennessee," Logan Paulsen said in the Commanders’ official team release of the pick. “Has long arms and a good get off and constantly stresses tackles as a rusher. He's a little bit of a gamble, but based on the film, one worth taking."
Josephs will become part of a beefed-up pass rush in DC now, as the Commanders have added Odafe Oweh and K’Lavon Chiasson in free agency and will get Deatrich Wise back from injury in 2026.
ROUND 6, NO. 187 OVERALL: RB Kaytron Allen, Penn State
Allen was a Third Team All-American in 2025 after toting the rock 210 times for 1,303 yards (a 6.2 YPC average) and 15 TD. He finished with a Penn State program-record 4,180 career rushing yards and 39 TD, with 70 catches for 490 yards and four TD through the air as well.
"Allen is productive with good size and vision but below-average explosiveness," wrote NFL.com's Lance Zierlein in the team’s official release of the pick. "He's a fluid runner with ideal patience and a natural feel for when to cut off his blocks. He runs low to the ground with the strength to run through arm tackles and fall forward after contact. A feel for lane development allows him to fit any run scheme, but his lack of burst is likely to constrict the field and limit his ability to find explosive runs. Allen appears to lack third-down and special-teams value, but he could earn a spot as a solid backup."
ROUND 6, NO. 209 OVERALL: C Matt Gulbin, Michigan State
Gulbin played 41 games over four years with Wake Forest before transferring to Michigan State for his final season. He had 23 starts with the Demon Deacons, 11 at each guard spot and one at center, and was Honorable Mention All-ACC in 2024. Gulbin then started 11 games at center for the Spartans, earning Honorable Mention All-Big Ten honors, and will have a chance to compete with Nick Allegretti in the middle in Washington.
From NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein:
Three-year starter with average size and good power. Gulbin is better at climbing to linebackers than he is at moving laterally to seal in the run game. He can be outreached at the point, but he stays tight to his block to reduce length disadvantages. He excels when washing away targets on inside-zone plays with strong leg drive. He anchors well in protection, but he must stay square and be more alert to loopers on twists. Short arms reduce his margin for error but his consistent body of work suggests he has a chance to make a roster as a center who can swing to guard in a pinch.
ROUND 7, NO. 223 OVERALL: QB Athan Kaliakmanis, Rutgers
Kaliakmanis spent three years at Minnesota before transferring to Rutgers, starting 17 of 23 games in 2022-23 after a redshirt year in 2021. He was a two-year starter for the Scarlet Knights, throwing for 5,820 yards and 38 TD against 14 INT, and also added 254 rushing yards and five rushing TD.
