With the 2026 NFL draft nigh, the league feels suspended in that delicious, nerve-fraying space between rumor and reality. In the center of draft projections are the Washington Commanders at No. 7, staring at a board that could break a dozen different ways. One projection, however, keeps surfacing with the inevitability of a plot twist you secretly hope is coming.
Why the Commanders’ Defensive Reset Could Begin With David Bailey
PFSN’s latest mock draft projection by Cameron Sheath has David Bailey going to Washington on Day 1.
Every draft class has that player who doesn’t just rise, he storms upward. Bailey did exactly that at the Texas Tech Red Raiders. After three seasons of steady development, his 2025 campaign felt like a declaration. 14.5 sacks (bringing his career total to 29), along with 52 total tackles.
“That stat line unsurprisingly led to Bailey being named a consensus All-American, and his equally frightening blend of ferocious power and speed will give NFL quarterbacks nightmares. The Washington Commanders could benefit from Bailey’s strength,” Sheath wrote.
Bailey’s first step is explosive, his hands violent and precise. At 6-foot-3 and roughly 250 pounds, he isn’t the bulkiest edge defender in the class, yet he converts speed to power with startling efficiency. Offensive tackles often look prepared for him, until they’re suddenly retreating.
Then came the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine, where Bailey recorded a 4.51-second 40-yard dash, fastest among all defensive linemen and edge rushers, paired with a 35-inch vertical jump. This showed that he is, quite simply, rare.
Which brings us back to Washington.
The Commanders’ defense last season often felt like it was waiting for someone to take control of the story. A timely sack here. A pressure there. But too frequently, opposing quarterbacks operated from clean pockets. The pass rush lacked a consistent, one-on-one disruptor, someone who could tilt protection schemes and still win.
Under new defensive coordinator Daronte Jones, that’s expected to change. Jones’ pressure-heavy philosophy, influenced by the aggressive Brian Flores coaching tree, thrives on multiplicity. Disguise. Movement. Controlled chaos. Bailey fits that vision like he’s been sketched into it from the beginning.
He can rush standing up or with his hand in the dirt. He can stunt inside or bend the arc outside. His presence would allow Washington to create mismatches rather than merely react to them. In a defense that has been starved for a true pass-rushing centerpiece, Bailey offers not just sacks, but he also provides an identity.
