It was a relatively quiet start to the 2026 NFL Draft for the Washington Commanders. General manager Adam Peters had only two selections in the first four rounds, but he made them count with linebacker Sonny Styles and wide receiver Antonio Williams at No. 7 and No. 71, respectively.
Peters needed to be much more active on Day 3, where he had four picks. The Commanders kicked things off with Tennessee prospect Joshua Josephs. He was the No. 147 overall pick, even though most experts before the process thought he would go much higher.
While edge rusher may not be Washington's greatest need, Peters isn't interested in that, and certainly not at this stage of the process. If there is someone high on his board who could possibly raise the bar, he won't hesitate to pull the trigger. Josephs was clearly that, but how quickly the former Volunteers' star will be able to transition is another matter.
Commanders add to the edge rushing room, which is already well-stocked
Even if this bypassed a glaring need at the center position after Sam Hecht and Parker Brailsford went a couple of picks before.
Josephs has promise. He's fundamentally sound. While there may not be any elite attributes that blow you away, he does all the little things well. That matters, especially for a team looking to solidify depth to avoid the lost momentum that occurred last season, when injuries decimated their chances of returning to the NFC Championship game.
Sometimes, it's not just about the college production. This is also about what a prospect might become. Josephs might not amount to much; it'll be a fine line. But the Commanders are giving him a shot.
And if the ceiling is reached at some point, it'll be a pleasant surprise that could hopefully lead to Josephs having a long career in Washington.
No position group was devoid of scrutiny this offseason. Nobody performed well enough for that, and if Joesphs can shake things up, bringing more out of the edge-rushing veterans already around, this will be a pick worth its weight in gold.
Time will tell, but Peters isn't risking all that much at this stage of the draft to find out one way or another. But what comes next is down to the player.