The Washington Commanders hosted their first fan draft party of the NFL draft on Thursday at Northwest Stadium, kicking off the 2026 draft by selecting Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles with the No. 7 overall pick.
The selection signals a clear commitment to reshaping a defense in need of impact talent, landing one of the most versatile and dynamic defenders in the 2026 draft class.
“So much joy. So blessed. I told my whole family this morning, I was like, I’m going to be a Commander,” said Styles. “And, no one really thought [about it]. So, I just had this feeling. I’m super excited. I love this organization, I love the people.”“I told one of my teammates here, what was different about Washington. I said the people in the building, just a bunch of great people,” he said. “So, I’m super excited to be a part of that.”
The NFL draft for the Commanders continues as they are set to make their next selection in round three at Pick No.71, followed by picks No. 147 in round five, and No. 187, No. 209, and No. 223 all set for round six. The celebration will continue at the National Harbor Waterfront Saturday, April 26 as the team concludes their 2026 draft selections.
“[It’s] really exciting, a lot of work is put into [the 2026 NFL Draft] . I think I probably say the same thing every year, but really the cool thing about the draft, it’s the whole building,” said general Manager Adam Peters. “It’s every single person that you see that works over there and works behind us here. It’s truly one of those things where everybody has a hand in it. So, it’s just really fun to be a part of.
