The Washington Commanders entered the 2026 NFL Draft without a lot of glaring needs on the roster. General manager Adam Peters and the front office did a good job in free agency of strengthening the pre-existing weaknesses. However, one area of concern was the wide receiver position behind Terry McLaurin. Many believed that the offense needed a strong second option to help out quarterback Jayden Daniels. Washington chose to address the receiver position in the draft by selecting Clemson Tigers pass catcher Antonio Williams with the 71st overall pick.
Despite adding Williams in the third round, Mike Sando of The Athletic reported that an anonymous NFL executive doesn’t believe it solves the Commanders’ need at the position.
“Slot guy, solid guy, 40 time is way faster than play speed,” another exec said about Williams. “But he is fast. He can probably play a little bit outside. Solid pick. They need a bigger player, more size.”
GettyAntonio Williams has recorded nine receiving touchdowns of at least 20 yards since 2024.
While perhaps not known for his 5’11 ½’’ and 187-pound frame, Williams is recognized for his play-making ability. NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein wrote, “There is freestyling inside his routes that creates uncertainty for corners, but teams might drill down on attention to detail and better efficiency to keep him on schedule. He’s not a field-stretcher, but he plays fast from snap to whistle and has the ball skills to bring in challenging catches. He’s more slippery than explosive with outstanding run-after-catch ability.”
Williams recorded 1,504 yards and 15 touchdowns across his final two seasons with Clemson and is expected to be a versatile piece within David Blough’s offense.
Adam Peters Expects Immediate Impact From Antonio Williams
GettyAntonio Williams recorded 75 catches for 904 yards and 11 touchdowns during the 2024 Clemson Tigers’ season.
While perhaps not every NFL executive believes that Antonio Williams will be the right fit for Washington, we certainly know general manager Adam Peters does. In an interview on “The Insiders,” Peters shared a glowing review of Williams.
“We were really fortunate to have him in the third round, too, Peters revealed. I thought he was going to be a second-round pick.I think a little bit of that is because he played through an injury all of his 2025 season. But if you go back to his 2024 season, he was extremely productive. Really, he’s a guy who we look at as a ‘Z’ and an ‘F’, so he can play outside and inside. His speed, his play speed, his route running, I think, is elite for a college player. So, he’s a guy who can come in and play right away. He runs NFL routes and can beat man coverage, and he can win on the outside…We were thrilled to get him.”
Commanders Playing Chicken With 49ers For WR Brandon Aiyuk
GettyWide receiver Brandon Aiyuk has recorded 294 catches for 4,305 yards and 25 touchdowns across 69 games played with the San Francisco 49ers. However, has not played a game since 2024 due to injuries and his refusal to rejoin the team in 2025.
While Williams was a welcome addition to the receiver room, Washington may get another addition as well. NFL Insider Ian Rapoport reported during Day Three of the draft that the San Francisco 49ers are expected to release wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk, but that the team is waiting to see if they can pull off a trade with Washington. Aiyuk has made it clear that he wants to play with his former college quarterback, Jayden Daniels, and the Commanders have shown interest in reuniting the duo.
Unfortunately, because of all this, the 49ers and Commanders have essentially entered a game of chicken. The Commanders don’t want to trade any capital for Aiyuk because they believe he will be released, but the 49ers don’t want to release him because they think they can get something from the Commanders in exchange for him. Both teams are waiting for the other to cave.
Ultimately, time will only tell who draws first, but the Commanders have Williams in place to fill the role if needed.
NFL Executive Shades Commanders’ Antonio Williams Draft Pick