With 16 games in the books, how do the Washington Commanders rank now in 2026 draft position?
Washington entered the Week 17 games in the No. 7 position. What happened in this week’s games involving the top ten teams in the draft order? The Raiders, Jets, Titans, and Cardinals all lost, meaning they didn’t help the Commanders at all. The Giants won, improving their record to 3-13, meaning the Commanders are back to being only one game better than their NFC East rival. The Giants’ win confirmed that the Raiders are the NFL’s worst team this year. Though they were home in Las Vegas, the Raiders were thumped by the Giants 34-10, and moved into the overall No.1 position.
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The Cardinals have now lost eight consecutive games and are spiraling downward until the end (next week). However, they do play in most likely the NFL’s toughest division this season. The Seahawks, Rams, and 49ers are all playoff-bound, and then there are the lowly 3-13 Cardinals at the bottom of the NFC West. If the Cardinals were to beat the Rams next week (yes, it is highly unlikely), the Commanders, with a loss at Philadelphia, would move up ahead of the Cardinals.
On the other hand, the Browns and Saints both won, which helped the Commanders. The Saints, winners of four consecutive games, have now reached the six-win total, so it is assured they will finish below the Commanders in the draft order, regardless of the final week’s results. The Browns picked up their fourth win of the season by upsetting the Steelers and are now tied with Washington at 4-12. The two teams are the only two in the NFL with a 4-12 record, heading into next week’s season finales. However, keep in mind that the Browns’ strength of schedule (.491) is lower than the Commanders’ (.509). So, if the two teams finish with the same record after next week, the Browns would be ranked higher in the draft order than the Commanders.
So, as it stands now, the Commanders actually remain in the No. 7 spot. Here is the top ten through 16 games for each of the teams, including their strength of schedule.
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1. Las Vegas 2-14 (.544)
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2. NY Giants 3-13 (.531)
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3. NY Jets 3-13 (.548)
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4. Tennessee 3-13 (.574)
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5. Arizona 3-13 (.577)
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6. Cleveland 4-12 (.491)
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7. Washington 4-12 (.509)
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8. New Orleans 6-10 (.491)
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9. Kansas City 6-10 (.509)
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10. Cincinnati 6-10 (.518)
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Washington Commanders: Did Week 17 help in the 2026 NFL draft order?
